^20 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



contract malaria within their first few years, and, if they survive, 

 obtain a certain degree of immunity which lasts throughout life, 

 but this immunity is to one local strain of the disease rather than 

 to malaria as a whole. If the disease is eradicated from an area 

 and children grov/ up without attaining partial immunity, and 

 subsequently move into an infected area, they are liable to con- 

 tract the disease in a more serious form. According to this view, 

 if it is conceded that the disease cannot be stamped out completely, 

 the great aim must be to develop immunity to all forms of the 

 disease by a better standard of living, together with improved 

 therapeutic methods. The report on Principles and Methods of 

 Anti-malarial Measures in Europe (League of Nations 1932a), 

 prepared by a number of eminent malariologists and originally 

 drafted by Colonel James, stresses the improvement of the stan- 

 dard of living. This report was prepared expressly with regard to 

 European countries, but it clearly has applications in other parts 

 of the world. The same principles have been adopted whole- 

 heartedly as applicable to tropical conditions by some African 

 officers, notably by Dr. A. R. Paterson (1928a) in Kenya. 



Turning to therapeutics, the effects of quinine and new synthetic 

 drugs, mostly prepared in Germany, have been intensively studied 

 during recent years. Many of these, which seemed at first to be of 

 supreme importance, are losing favour after trial, but a steady 

 flow of new drugs is being produced. The Report on Therapeutics 

 of Malaria (League of Nations 1933a) points out 'that the thera- 

 peutics of malaria, like every other aspect of the disease, is much 

 more a local and individual problem than has hitherto been 

 thought'. 



In general, anti-malarial work in Africa is hampered by ignor- 

 ance of what are the real effects of malaria. It is well known that 

 over vast areas of the country practically the entire African popu- 

 lation above one year of age harbour malaria parasites in their 

 blood continuously, but as yet little knowledge is available as to 

 the effects of this condition at different age-periods in terms of 

 sickness, mortality, general well-being, and working capacity. 

 Inquiry is urgently needed with the object of ascertaining to what 

 degree this parasitic infestation is harmful, and to discover at what 

 age-period of life curative or preventive action would be most 



