18 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



has been infected witht the parasites believed to produce the disease. 

 iTwo officers of the Koyal Army Medical Corps, Lieut. ' Gray and Lieut. 

 Forbes Tulloch, were the commission. Last Mfarch an official telegram 

 was received in London, that trypanosomes had been found in the blood 

 of Lieut. Forbes Tulloch, and there is wide spread sympathy expressed 

 for this young and zealous officer, suffering in the cause of science, and 

 the members of the Eoyal Society of Canada, join heartily in the hope 

 that he may make a safe recovery. Since the discovery of trypanosomes, 

 the parasite has been recognized in seven persons of English birth. Of 

 these, three have died, and four are still living. From most recent 

 date, a proportion of recoveries is to be looked for, in the Trypanosome 

 diseases of man, and that the terminal and fatal condition " Sleeping 

 Sickness," is not inevitable, and although a necessary factor in the pro- 

 duction of the disease, not always follo^^•ed by its development, and 

 much work has still to be done, before a positive opinion is arrived at, as 

 to either the prognosis or treatment of this disease. 



•' Sleeping Sickness" has been considered by some experts a form 

 of Ben-Beri. Such, however, is not generally accepted. Beri-Beri is 

 in fact a peripheral neuritis, and developed rapidly. The knee reflex 

 is absent in both, and hyperœsthesia of the muscular system, is 'a striking 

 characteristic, in " ksieeping Sickness " these symptoms are wanting ; 

 the tremor, pyrexia and letharg}^ are marked features. 



Professor Kobert Koch recently investigated " Sleeping Sickness," 

 for some months in South Africa, and favours the opinion, that this 

 disease has been known on the west coast of Africa, since the beginning 

 of the last century. Sir Claude de Crespigny, visited the hospital at 

 Entebbe, G-erman East Africa, and considered tha't the disease is con- 

 veyed by the Tse-tse fly, only about two per cent disseminating the 

 fatal germ. It is doubtful whether the disease emanates directly from 

 the fly, or the latter conveys it from dead fish, and is spread like yellow 

 fever, by mosquitoes. In large sections of Africa, the horse is not seen 

 and cannot survive, owing to these insects, and the donkey at one time 

 supposed to be immune, frequently succumbs, a victim to a like influ- 

 ence. Dr. Kock inclines to the opinion, that " Sleeping Sickness ^' is a 

 form of cerebro-spinal meningitis. 



The present interchange of commerce with the numerous tribes in 

 South Africa, from Britain, and nearly all Europe, makes this disease 

 an important problem, not alone, as to the economic future of South 

 Africa, but also as to the outlook in the direction of public health. 



