056. REPORT—1905. 
3. How the native is brought to the Rand. The detention compound at 
Johannesburg. 
4. Work and life on the mines. Classes of work in which the native is 
engaged. Housing. Food. Sanitation. Hospital accommodation. General 
conditions of living. Average stay on the mines, (General character of the 
natives. General treatment. 
5. Sickness and mortality. Excessive mortality in the past. Means taken to 
combat it. What the mines have done. Improvement effected. The still 
relatively high mortality. Main diseases contributing to it. Importance of the 
territorial factor, climate and racial. Impertance of the factor of occupation. 
Other factors. The problem of acclimatisation. 
2. Diseases among Natives. By Dr. G. Lirneme, 
The data are for the most part collected from the hospital of the Swiss Medical 
Mission, Spelonten, N. Transvaal. 
Of native children 30 per cent. die before they reach the age of two years. 
Diseases of nervous system occur as follows :— 
1. Hysteria is exceedingly common, often succeeded by a hypnotic condition. 
The author has operated for a tumour on a patient in a hypnotic condition. 
2. Epilepsy is common, and occurs at 4 more advanced age than is usual among 
whites, 
Diseases of the organs of respiration :— 
1. Pneumonia and bronchio-pneumonia. At certain seasons this is very preva- 
lent, and great infant mortality arises in consequence. Malaria predisposes to it. 
2. Pleurisy and asthma are infrequent. 
3. Pulmonary tuberculosis was unknown a few years ago; now it is common. 
It runs a more rapid course than among whites. The bacillus is frequently im- 
ported by young men from the mines. 
4. Diseases of the heart are infrequent. 
5. Diseases of the kidney are infrequent. 
6. Heematuria due to bilharzia is common. 
7. Diseases of digestion are uncommon except in young children. 
8. Conjunctivitis, often leading to blindness, is very common. 
9. Leprosy in a mild form is very common. The first stages usually pass 
unnoticed. The native usually carefully hides the disease, fearing transportation 
to a leper asylum. 
10. Cases of difficult labour are more frequent than might be supposed. 
11. Malaria is the cause of much suffering. 
12. Syphilis first appeared thirty or forty years ago: it came from the mining 
centres. Now 80 per cent, of the whole native population of Zoutpansberg are 
infected. It can be treated successfully with mercury, which, however, must be 
given in smaller doses than to whites. 
3. Drugs as used in South Africa. By Dr. MABERLEY. 
4. The Action of Radium on the Electric Phenomena of the Retina. 
By Professor J. G. McKenpricx, 7. RS. 
