88 



D.S.O., C.B.), the President of the Royal Institute of Public Health 

 (W. R. SMITH, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.E.), and other distinguished guests. 

 The Right Honourable Mr. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, H.M. Secretary 

 of State for the Colonies, signified his approval and support of the 

 scheme, and the expedition left England on the i$th of June. 



COMMENCEMENT OF CAMPAIGN. 



We arrived at Freetown* on the 2nd of July, and were very hos- 

 pitably entertained by His Excellency the Governor, Sir CHARLES 

 KING HARMAN, K.C.M.G. At a public lecture, at which his Excel- 

 lency presided, a resolution in support of our efforts was unanimously 

 adopted. 



Dr. LOGAN TAYLOR commenced work without delay. In my first 

 suggestions for controlling malaria I had recommended measures 

 against mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles only ; but mosquitoes of 

 the genus Stegomyia have now been conclusively proved to carry 

 yellow fever ; and mosquitoes of the genus Culex have long been 

 known to carry Filana nocturna (elephantiasis). Malaria and 

 elephantiasis prevail all down the coast ; and many medical men of 

 repute consider that yellow fever also has existed there from time to 

 time. In addition, it is beginning to be thought by some that mos- 

 quitoes may carry other diseases, especially various tropical fevers 

 distinct from malaria and typhoid ; and, altogether apart from their 

 pathological agency, most kinds of mosquitoes undoubtedly cause an 

 immense amount of annoyance in the tropics, and, next to the heat, 

 constitute perhaps the principal drawback of life in warm climates. 

 We determined, therefore, to push our campaign against all kinds of 

 mosquitoes indiscriminately. 



Dr. TAYLOR immediately engaged the services of over twenty men, 

 under intelligent head men. To these His Excellency the Governor 

 added twelve men, and gave the necessary carts and implements. 

 This force was divided into two gangs ; a small gang of six men 

 (called the Culex gang), to collect from private houses all the broken 

 bottles and buckets, empty tins, old calabashes, and similar uncon- 

 sidered vessels in which mosquitoes of the genera Stegomyia and 

 Culex breed : and a larger gang (called the Anopheles gang), to drain 

 the pools and puddles in the streets and the backyards of the houses, 

 in which Anopheles breed. 



* Freetown contains 30,000 inhabitants. 



