128 
AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF FILARIASIS 
IN CEYLON 1 . 
By P. H. BAHR, M.A., M.D., D.T.M. & H. (Cantab.), 
M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. 
London School of Tropical Medicine. 
(With 1 Map.) 
My studies on the distribution of filariasis in the Fiji Islands 2 demon¬ 
strated the intimate relationship between the elephantiasis rate of a 
district and the microfilaria rate of the inhabitants, an observation in 
agreement with the previous work of Low and Daniels on the same 
subject. In Ceylon I resolved to again investigate this subject in order 
to ascertain whether in this island also a similar result could be obtained. 
It is a matter of common observation in Ceylon that elephantiasis 
is definitely limited to certain areas, as is witnessed by the local name 
“ Galle leg ” which is applied by the European residents to this 
disease, though in villages but a few miles distant from the endemic 
area not a single case can be found. To determine, if possible, the 
reason of this capricious distribution, as far as time and opportunity 
would permit while I was engaged in investigating sprue, I examined 
the blood both by day and by night of a number of the inhabitants 
in most of the places I visited in the island. Such a survey of Ceylon 
was necessarily limited, but was rendered more complete by the 
material collected by two Ceylonese medical students, Messrs Arndt 
and M. de Costa, who, after being duly instructed by me, were 
despatched and their expenses defrayed by the Ceylon Government to 
such localities I myself was personally unable to visit. 
1 Based on information collected whilst investigating sprue in Ceylon, 1912-1913 and 
undertaken on a grant from the Ceylon Government. 
2 “ Filariasis and Elephantiasis in Fiji.” Supplement No. 1, Journ. Lond. Sch. Trop. 
Med. 1912, Witherby & Co. 
