40 



other hand, in the Island of Lifu, with r65 per cent, of its population 

 lepers, the most contaminated villages are those of Wuiwatoul and 

 H'Melek, with a leprous population of 3'96 per cent, and 4'9 per cent, 

 respectively ; these villages are more than 25 kilometres from the 

 marsh of Djoj-Luengani and there is no marsh whatever in their 

 neighbourhood, whilst at Djoj-Luengani there are no lepers, in spite 

 of the relatively large number of mosquitos to be found in the place 

 and its neighbourhood during 7 months of year. The author says 

 that the first case of Hansen's disease occurred at Uvea in 1894, and 

 in 1912 Dr. Javelly gave the percentages of leprosy in the three districts, 

 north, centre and south of the island, as 5-34, O'OS and 2"84 thus 

 showing the extent to which the disease had spread. At Muli the 

 cases rose between 1907 and 1908 from 3 per cent, to 8 per cent., 

 whilst at Fayawe, it had barely risen 0"9 per cent., and yet there are 

 fewer mosquitos at Muli than at Fayawe. It would thus appear that 

 the relation of Culicinae to the disease is at least doubtful. 



Laboratory researches on lice as a means of conveyaiice have given 

 negative results. In the Loyalty Islands very few of the men are 

 lousy, but the women of the Catholic tribes are obliged to cut their 

 hair very short in order to struggle successfully against vermin. The 

 women of the Protestant tribes do not cut their hair, and it is a curious 

 fact that whether the native women cut their hair or no, the result 

 so far as the number of lepers is concerned, is exactly the same. The 

 women of the Loyalty Islands, who are generally much more lousy 

 than the men, are rarely attacked by leprosy. 



With regard to fleas and bugs, as they are found everywhere, it is 

 very difficult to attach any epidemiological significance to them and 

 laboratory experiments have yielded practically negative results. 

 The author considers also that the itch acarus has no connection with 

 the disease. With regard to Demodex folUcidormn, which was accused 

 by Borrel {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, March 1909), not without reason, of 

 being the carrier of Hansen's bacillus, the author says that he has not 

 sufficient laboratory experience to be able to draw a sound conclusion. 

 As regards flies, he refers to a previous paper of his {Bull. Soc. Path. 

 Exot. No. 19, page 860, 1912) and says that he has no reason to change 

 the opinions therein expressed. From the epidemiological point of 

 view he is inclined to incriminate only Demodex foUiculorum and 

 Diptera of the genus Musca, especially Musca domestica ; but in any 

 case he is of opinion that it is rather a question of method of carriage 

 than of a method of transmission, properly speaking. In New 

 Caledonia everything appears to point to the fact that the contagion 

 is spreading directly from one person to another, or indirectly, but 

 under exceedingly limited conditions, through the medium of certain 

 objects fouled by the patient. The radius of dissemination appears 

 to be exceedingly small, but he contends that this does not conflict with 

 the possible role of the domestic fly as a carrier and urges in support 

 the family incidence of the disease which is very frequent in New 

 Caledonia. He says in conclusion, without wishing to push the idea 

 too far, that in his opinion one of the best methods of individual 

 prophylaxis against leprosy is the daily use of soap and water without 

 stint. 



