564 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



investigation has important bearings on the findings of Sir John 

 Orr and Dr. Gilks concerning the nutrition of Kenya natives, 

 referred to later. 



In Nyasaland Dr. T. A. Austin, in 1935, made an intensive 

 study of the isolated population of Ghilwa Island in the lake of 

 that name about twenty miles from Zomba. The total population 

 of the island numbers about 700 and very little European influence 

 has been felt. About 30 per cent of this population was subjected 

 to an intensive medical examination, including estimates of urines, 

 stools, the examination of blood films, spleen, and general diseases. 

 The results showed a very high infestation by parasites and diseases 

 somewhat similar to that found in Kenya and Uganda. 



In Nigeria a special medical census was carried out in 193 1 in 

 connection with the general census, and the reports by Dr. R. G. 

 Jones (1932) of the Northern Provinces and by Dr. J. G. S. Turner 

 (1932) for the Southern Provinces are publications of great impor- 

 tance. For each area special villages or towns were selected in 

 different climatic zones, and in each a thousand or so of the 

 people were examined in full detail on a standardized scheme. 

 In all 9,491 persons were examined in four villages of the Northern 

 Provinces; these villages were approximately on the same line of 

 longitude, but in distinct climatic zones with an annual rainfall 

 ranging from 25 to 40 inches. In the Southern Provinces 11,023 

 persons were examined in Abeokuta, representing rural conditions, 

 the Gameroons, forest and hill country, and Arogbo, providing 

 swampy conditions in the creek area. The difiiculty experienced 

 in obtaining information was considerable, as it has been in all 

 other parts of Africa, but satisfactory returns were obtained for 

 tribe, sex, age, birthplace, occupation, nutrition, stature, general 

 diseases, ulcers, vaccination, etc. Additional information from 

 females over ten years of age included numbers of children alive 

 and dead, still and premature births, pregnancies, miscarriages, 

 multiple births, etc.; and for children under twelve years of age 

 the size of spleen and liver were measured roughly by finger 

 breadths. 



In the Belgian Gongo, several special sets of data have been 

 collected, but the most important records are those of the large 

 FOREAMI organization [see page 499) which has been able 



