First Progress Report of the Campaign against Mos- 

 quitoes in Sierra Leone, by RONALD ROSS, 

 F.R.C.S., D.P.H., F.R.S. Dated Liverpool, I5th 

 October, 1901. 



PRELIMINARY. 



This enterprise was undertaken in the following circumstances : 

 Shortly after the development of the parasites of malaria in mos- 

 quitoes had been determined by my researches of 1895-98, 1 suggested 

 that the proper way to extirpate malaria in towns and cantonments 

 would be to drain the breeding places of the insects which carry the 

 disease. All efforts to induce the authorities to adopt this idea 

 remained, however, almost entirely unavailing during two years ;* 

 and at last I resolved upon starting the work by the help of private 

 enterprise. On the ist of May, 1901, I received from a gentleman 

 with whom I have the honour to be acquainted the sum of one thou- 

 sand pounds with which to commence the work ; and this amount he 

 has since doubled. The project was adopted with energy by the 

 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine ; and supplementary gifts and 

 assistance of all kinds were given by ALFRED L. JONES, Esq., J.P., 

 JOHN HOLT, Esq., F. SWANZY, Esq., Professor BOYCE, MAX Mus- 

 PRATT, Esq., Dr. KOHN, and other gentlemen. Mr. LOGAN TAYLOR, 

 M.B., B.S., of the Pathological Laboratory of Glasgow University, 

 was appointed to superintend the operations ; and Freetown, Sierra 

 Leone, was selected to be the site of the experiment, partly because its 

 malaria had been already surveyed by the scientific expeditions of the 

 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Royal Society, and 

 partly because the place is so difficult to deal with on account of the 

 heavy rainfall and the nature of the soil that it affords a fair, and, 

 indeed, somewhat severe test, of the feasibility of the measures recom- 

 mended by me. As showing the popular interest in the matter, I may 

 mention that the expedition was entertained by Mr. ALFRED L. JONES 

 at a valedictory banquet, which was honoured by the presence of the 

 Lord Mayor of Liverpool, the Lord Bishop of Liverpool, the Director 

 General of the Indian Medical Service (Surgeon-General HARVEY, 



* The admirable measures instituted against malaria in Lagos by Sir W MAC- 

 GREGOR and Dr. STRACHAN are conducted largely on different lines ; and the 

 operations of YOUNG and THOMSON in Hong Kong, and of others elsewhere, have 

 been very limited in area. 1 shall presently refer to the work in Havana. 



Original Note. 



