PREVENTION 125 



Whether or no cerebro-spinal meningitis originated in Central Africa is an 

 interesting speculation. 



The primitive forms of medicine, the venomous animals, and the poisons 

 are all of great interest and require much further research. 



PREVENTION. 



It is not our intention to write upon prophylaxis in this portion 

 of the book, but merely to indicate that many diseases exist in the 

 tropics which medical research has shown to be due to definite 

 parasitic organisms spread in a very definite manner, and therefore 

 more or less preventable. 



We would venture respectfully to quote His Most Gracious 

 Majesty King George V., who long ago said: — " If preventable, why 

 not prevented ?" We would further venture to ask that more regard 

 should be paid to this memorable utterance, which we believe will 

 echo down the rolling centuries and will be more and more appreci- 

 ated as they pass. 



We would, however, ask the reader to remember that to prevent 

 disease entails hard unappreciated work, usually in the face of much 

 opposition and in direct contrast to the comfortable life of letting 

 things drift; but in the light of His Majesty's words this work should 

 be taken up by his subjects. 



Moreover, the present war has shown what can be done when 

 military authorities work hand in hand with medical research, and 

 we are of the opinion that civilian Governments should learn this 

 lesson also. 



It is, indeed, a satisfactory sign that the Secretary of State for 

 India is reported as stating, in a remarkable speech made to a British 

 Medical Association deputation, that a modern Government required 

 and should take all suitable means to obtain the best and most 

 accessible advice on various medical and sanitary problems with 

 which every such Government is called upon to deal. If this dictum 

 is acted upon — i.e., if it passes the realm of advice — a new era will 

 dawn in the tropics. 



REFERENCES. 



If the reader desires further literature with regard to evolution, we invite 

 his attention to Adami (191 8), ' Medical Contributions to the Study of Evolu- 

 tion.' If he wishes to dive into geographical discoveries, he may well begin 

 with Keltie and Howarth (1913), 'History of Geography.' 



Balkans. Castellani (191 7). The Diseases of the Balkans, Royal Society of 



Medicine, and the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 

 Bombay. Report of the Sanitary Commissioner. 

 British Guiana. Reports of Registrar-General. 



British Honduras. Tobey Corny and Schwitala in vol. xi.. No. 6, of the 

 Bulletin of the St. Louis University for January, 191 6. 



British New Guinea. Seligmann, C. G. (1906). On the Morbid Conditions 

 met with among Natives of British New Guinea. (1913). Vol. i., Reports 

 of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Straits. 

 {1908). Third Report of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. 



