528 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



is Still far from complete. The main problems and results of re- 

 search have already been outlined from the entomological point 

 of view in Chapter X, and the following remarks refer principally 

 to the medical aspect. The fundamental work on sleeping sick- 

 ness was carried out by Sir David Bruce and his colleagues during 

 the Royal Society Sleeping Sickness Commissions at the beginning 

 of this century, and the conclusion that the disease is caused by a 

 trypanosome and conveyed by a species of tsetse fly was first 

 announced by Bruce in April 1903. Since those early days impor- 

 tant work, carried out under the auspices of the League of Nations 

 International Commission on Human Trypanosomiasis (League 

 of Nations 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928a and b, 1930a) has laid the foun- 

 dations for the numerous studies now in progress. Other publica- 

 tions of a general nature, dealing especially with British territories, 

 are the report of the East African Commission (1925), which paid 

 particular attention to sleeping sickness and demanded a scientific 

 survey in all the East African dependencies, a report by Dr. (now 

 Sir Walter) Johnson (1929) on the organization and methods of 

 trypanosomiasis control, and by the Tsetse Fly Committee of the 

 Economic Advisory Council (1933 and 1935), which has devoted 

 attention to the treatment of human trypanosomiasis and sum- 

 marized recent developments. The question of co-ordination of 

 research in the East African territories has been discussed at meet- 

 ings arranged by the Conference of East African Governors (1934b 

 and 1936b). 



For purposes of research there have been three important centres 

 in the British dependencies devoted especially to sleeping sickness : 

 (i) the Human Trypanosomiasis Institute at Entebbe, Uganda, 

 was established in 1927 under Dr. Duke at the conclusion of the 

 Sleeping Sickness Commission. It was financed by the three East 

 African Governments, and was closed down finally in 1935 on 

 Dr. Duke's retirement; (2) The Sleeping Sickness Branch of the 

 Nigerian Medical Department has a laboratory at Gadau in the 

 Northern Provinces with a research staff of a medical officer, an 

 entomologist, etc.; (3) The Sleeping Sickness Research Unit in 

 Tanganyika has a laboratory at Tinde in Shinyanga district, under 

 Dr. Corson; this is now financed by a special grant from the 

 Colonial Development Fund. 



