76 SUMMARY OF THE ANTIMALARIAL CAMPAIGNS 



Again, in 1906, of sixty-two Europeans residing 

 in seven stations where antimosquito measures were 

 enforced, four cases of malaria were reported as against 

 thirty-five cases in 1904, when no precautions were 

 taken. 



THE ANTIMALARIAL CAMPAIGNS IN WEST AFRICA 



The first campaign was started in Sierra Jjcone ; 

 indeed, it was the first expedition ^ sent out by the 

 Liverpool Scliool of Tropical Medicine to put to a 

 practical test, as suggested by Ross himself, the dis- 

 coveries which he had made during the years 1895- 

 1898, as we have already seen in the preceding chapters. 

 This was the first occasion on which a free hand was 

 given to Ross to test tlie results of doing away with 

 the breeding places of the anophelines. Sierra Leone 

 was selected because of its unsavoury reputation for 

 being the " white man's grave," and also for the fact 

 tliat it presented great natural difficulties in carrying 

 out antimosquito war ; these difficulties were the very 

 heavy rainfall and the nature of the soil. The expedi- 

 tion, which consisted of Major Ross and Dr. Logan 

 Taylor, arrived in Freetown in July 1901, and Major 

 Ross directed operations against all kinds of mosquitos. 

 Thirty-two men were engaged under the direction of 

 headmen, and tliey were furnislied with carts and 

 utensils. The force was divided into two gangs : one a 

 Culex gang, composed of six men, to collect all broken 

 bottles, tins, and odd receptacles of all kinds from tlie 



• Previous expeditions had been sent out to confirm tlie accuracy of 

 Major Ross's observations (see Appendix). 



