588 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



dard of living and general amenities of life. The quality of food, 

 in particular, has improved markedly; more fresh food is available 

 for purchase locally, the quality of meat has risen, and in quite 

 recent years the advent of small house refrigerators has enabled 

 many Europeans to preserve food adequately and to render it 

 more palatable and more easily digestible. New methods of house 

 building with metallic foil-covered asbestos as insulating material, 

 tiles instead of corrugated iron, etc., have made living conditions 

 more comfortable. The general conclusion may be stated that for 

 Europeans to maintain health in unhealthy African districts a high 

 standard of living is essential. Many amenities of life which are 

 regarded as luxuries in England are necessities in the tropics, and 

 if this is realized there appears to be little, if any, deterioration in 

 health. 



The problems of European health in the Union of South Africa 

 are in some ways different from those in other parts of the con- 

 tinent, the climate on the whole being considerably more favour- 

 able and the European population more numerous. The health 

 of the white man in the Union was considered at some length 

 during the Medical Congress held at Grahamstown in September 

 1935, and the papers presented are published in the South 

 African Medical Journal. The general problems of the 'poor 

 whites' who represent about 15 per cent of the European popula- 

 tion, at a very low standard of living, were the subject of an inquiry 

 carried out in 1931 with the help of the Carnegie Commission. 

 The resultant report (1932) contains valuable information on diet, 

 as well as other questions. 



There is still, however, room for the investigation of some under- 

 lying scientific problems. Our limited knowledge of African 

 physiology has already been mentioned. With regard to white 

 races, a mass of research has been carried out on physiology in 

 temperate conditions, but ignorance is still profound on the effects 

 on the functioning of the body and brain caused by life in tropical 

 climates. It is not yet known, for example, how such factors as 

 tropical sunshine and humidity affect the system. 



Another factor, which must influence the future of some settled 

 areas, is the effect on Europeans of life at high altitudes. Full 

 results cannot be expected until Europeans have lived in their new 



