582 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



tribes which appear to be dying out as a result of peculiar nutri- 

 tional diseases. There is a striking instance of this in one of the 

 least-known parts of East Africa, at the south-east corner of Lake 

 Rudolf where there lives a dwindling tribe, the Elmolo, studied by 

 the Cambridge Lake Rudolf Expedition of 1 934. Brief reference 

 to them is made by V. E. Fuchs (1935), who points out that among 

 the remaining members of this tribe, numbering about eighty- 

 four, there is an almost universal deformity of the shin bones. The 

 Elmolo live entirely on fish, crocodiles, and turtles that are caught 

 in the lake, and drink the lake water which has a very high soda, 

 and an almost negligible calcium content. The results of this very 

 peculiar dietary are seen in the prevalence of scurvy, pyorrhoea, 

 dental decay, and arthritis in addition to their malformations of 

 bone. This example is mentioned as a case where a small and 

 comparatively inexpensive investigation could obtain results of 

 remarkable value. It is practically certain that the condition of 

 the Elmolo results from mineral deficiency combined with insuf- 

 ficient intake of certain vitamins. A medical and dietetic survey 

 would give results which, apart from their own intrinsic interest, 

 might indicate the cause of similar physical complaints among 

 people who normally enjoy a more varied diet. 



The nutritional significance of vegetable relishes used by agricul- 

 tural tribes involves botanical as well as dietetic inquiry, as does 

 the variety of local strains of staple food materials. Mr. H. G. 

 Sampson, Economic Botanist at Kew, has already large collections 

 of millets and other food grains from several parts of Africa and is 

 in active co-operation with the local agriculturists and other 

 officers. In South Africa the Division of Plant Industry of the 

 Union Government has a number of botanists ready to identify 

 and study important plants, while F. W. Fox and his collaborators 

 at the South African Institute for Medical Research, have already 

 examined a large number of wild plants used as food, particularly 

 those which become important in times of acute shortage (Levy, 

 Weintroub, and Fox 1936). 



Experimental work in the modification of the dietaries of selected 

 villages or families should not be very difficult to arrange. With 

 the knowledge gained from survey studies, small additions might 

 be made to test the results on the prevalence of particular diseases. 



