]S[o. 56.— 1905.] 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
347 
I do not know of any that have attracted more attention than the 
results of the investigations by Manson, Ross, Celli, and others into 
that fatal and widespread disease that had afflicted humanity perhaps 
more than any other — malarial fever caused by the bite of the 
mosquito. The question to be asked is : Are we not merely recover- 
ing the crumbs of knowledge that fell from the table of the long- 
buried East ? A short time ago G-overnment instituted an inquiry 
into the incidence of malarial fever at Mutwal, and during the inquiry 
I was surprised to see a communication from the Secretary of the 
Ceylon Native Medical Association mentioning that in old books the 
mosquito was mentioned as one of the means of propagating malarial 
fever. I was so struck that I made further inquiries, and found that 
in the medical works of Charaha^ Susruta, and other ancient Sinihalese 
writers, it was mentioned that there were sixtj-seven kinds of mos- 
quitoes, and further that there were four kinds of malarial fever caused 
by the bite of those mosquitoes. At present about thirty-six to forty 
species of mosquito have been named in Ceylon, of which Mr. G-reen 
has named twenty-four. So that, as a matter of fact, recent dis- 
coveries are only re-discoveries. The books I refer to were written 
in the sixth century. Therefore we have only re-discovered what 
was on record fourteen hundred years ago. These facts are interesting, 
I do not know whether any of those present can read Sanskrit, but the 
Interpreter Mudaliyar is here, and the books and the passages showing 
from where they have been derived. 
The Government are arranging for the translation by native scholars 
of ^' Rajaratndharaya^^^ a history of Ceylon compiled in 1542; and 
"•Nikdya 8angraliaioa'' or Sdsandvatdraya^ " a history of Buddhism in 
India and Ceylon written at the end of the 14th century. 
The Government is also considering the question of arranging 
with the Royal Asiatic Society for the republication of the Mahd- 
vmnsa, the Great Chronicle of Ceylon, the first part of which was 
nearly completed by the late Professor Hardy, and would be finished 
by Professor Geiger of Erlangen. It was suggested to Government 
that they should give an annual grant. I think I can safely say that the 
small sum suggested can be as freely given by the Ceylon Government 
as by the Indian Government, and in that manner proper translation^ 
placed within the reach of archaeologists. 
There is a very large number of important ancient manuscripts to 
be found in various places in the Colony. I hope Members of the 
Society will exert themselves and make inquiries. They may find in 
various vihares or in the possession of laymen very old manuscripts 
that ought not to be neglected, and which could be translated by their 
Society, aided by the Government. I commend the idea to all Members 
who have it in their power to discover where such old manuscripts are 
stowed away, in order that they may be brought to light. 
4. Sir W. W. Mitchell formally moved the adoption of the 
Report. He was glad to note that the funds were in a fairly satis- 
factory condition. The Membership had kept up fairly well, but there 
was no reason why there should not be well over 200 Members on the 
Society's roll. They would be pleased to find that the extensions to 
the Museum were in a better way to being accomplished than hitherto. 
It was possible that the authorities had been too ambitious in their 
