171 



Legendre (Dr. J.). Index end^mique du Paludisme et sa Prophy- 

 laxie a Tananarive (Madagascar). [Endemic index of Malaria and 

 its Prophylaxis in Antananarivo.] — A7in. Hyg. Med. Colon., Paris, 

 xvii, no. 2, April-May-June 1914, pp. 531-535. 



An endemic index showing the incidence of malaria in the town of 

 Antananarivo has been prepared by examining all school children 

 between 7 and 14 years of age, and the figures given show that in the 

 west from 34 to 44 per cent, are attacked ; in the north-east 58 per 

 cent. ; in the east the figure varies from 41 to 100 per cent. ; in the 

 south-east it is 64 per cent, and in the great western plain 30 per cent. 

 It is suggested that the proximity of rice-fields and the breeding of 

 mosquitos therein, more or less accounts for the unhealthy state of 

 the town and the extent of the disease, but it is further pointed out 

 that the distribution of water in the rice-fields, which is described in 

 detail, has a very important influence upon the distribution of the 

 insects. Those areas of water which are furthest removed from the 

 irrigation canals are practically devoid of fish (Cyprinidae), and here 

 the mosqiijto larvae have practically no enemies ; the incidence of 

 the disease is shown to vary from 100 per cent, on the side where the 

 water of the rice-fields is absolutely devoid of fish, to 30 per cent, in 

 another part where fish are more or less abundant. 



A large amount of rice cultivation in certain areas is carried on 

 under conditions which would not permit of stocking the water with 

 fish, and it is suggested that the water should be run off from these 

 areas for a period of 48 hours once a fortnight, the agricultural 

 authorities being of opinion that this operation would not interfere 

 with the growth of the rice. In certain areas it is advised that the 

 cultivation of rice be prohibited altogether. 



GoYON (Dr. de). Note sur les Mouches piquantes et les Epizooties du 

 Bas Dahomey. [Biting flies and epizootics in Lower Dahomey.] 

 — Ann. Hyg. Med. Colon., Paris, xvii, no. 2, April-May- June 1914, 

 pp. 632-634. 



Various biting flies, and especially Glossina, are widely distributed 

 in Lower Dahomey, but there are no records of observations connecting 

 their distribution with that of disease. Sleeping sickness is very rare, 

 but horses and cattle coming from Upper Dahomey are almost in- 

 variably attacked on arriving at the coast with a disease which presents 

 all the symptoms of nagana. The coast area is traversed every- 

 where by lagoons which swarm with tsetse ; the disease is known at 

 Save, 160 miles from the coast, at which point the rearing of stock is 

 said to begin, and in this place about 5 per cent, of the animals are 

 attacked. Two serious epizootics of the disease are recorded in that 

 neighbourhood, one 4 or 5 years ago and the other more than 10 years, 

 which were attributed by the natives to the bites of flies. The natives 

 are perfectly aware of the habits of Glossina and have noticed that 

 during the dry season, when there is no bush in the neighbourhood 

 of the villages, the flies retire to damp bushy areas further away. 

 Their own herds are then not troubled, but they say that the fhes 

 follow the herds of buffalo, and that their own cattle suffer most from 

 the fly at the beginning of the rainy season, when, in order to find 

 pasture, they must be taken to areas at some considerable distance 

 from the villages. 



