478 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



races, at the following centres, in order of size: Salisbury, Bulawayo, 

 Umtali, Gwelo, Gatooma, Fort Victoria, Sinoia, Enkeldoorn, 

 Shamva, and Gwanda. The health of natives is further provided 

 for by six small hospitals erected recently, and two large govern- 

 ment institutions for the accommodation and treatment of lepers. 

 The larger mining companies maintain special hospitals for their 

 employees. 



It was pointed out in a recent report (Southern Rhodesia 1934, 

 D.R.), that 800,000 of the estimated native population of 1,154,500 

 live in reserves or on unalienated crown land within reach of only 

 a limited number of medical missions subsidized by the govern- 

 ment. In the last few years a network of medical dispensaries 

 has been set up throughout native reserves. The aim is eventually 

 to have a series of central hospitals each surrounded by a ring of 

 about eight dispensaries situated at distances varying from 20 to 

 140 miles from the base. These dispensaries are staffed by trained 

 native orderlies and, wherever possible, are under the supervision 

 of the mission stations operating in the reserve concerned. The 

 government medical officer is in charge and visits all the dispen- 

 saries in his area at regular intervals, if possible once a week. In 

 1936, government issued authority for carrying out a system of 

 native clinics with all possible speed, so that, by the end of the 

 year, in addition to the efficient native sections attached to the 

 government European hospitals, some thirty clinics were either 

 functioning or in process of erection, and it was hoped that a 

 further six would be operating by the following year, and in 1936 

 22,704 out-patients were treated and 11,744 admitted to hospital 

 (Southern Rhodesia 1936, D.R.). 



Routine laboratory services are provided and are extensively 

 used by the government service and by private practitioners. 

 The department's laboratory at Salisbury is the chief centre of 

 research and among other studies, work on the anaemias, as they 

 exhibit themselves in the European and in the native inhabitants 

 of the country, has been carried out recently. 



The Bulawayo Bacteriological Institute was established in 1930, 

 mainly for routine examinations, and, though partly a private 

 undertaking, was subsidized by the government, railways, and the 

 municipality. In 1936, however, it became an entirely government 



