Report on sleeping sickness in northern Rhodesia to February 1912 / by A. May.

  • May, A.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on sleeping sickness in northern Rhodesia to February 1912 / by A. May. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    For tliese reasons it is not considered that any test for this property in the blood will prove to be of jnMctical value in the field. These experiments are however l>eing repeated on a large scale by Drs. Leach and White at the Fiiiidu Detention Camp and it is hoped that statistics will soon be available to show whether or not the method is one of practical utility. The arguments urged against the utility of gland palpation and puncture namely that “ Infected persons have cervical glands in no way different from those of a large majority of healthy natives” seems to be a step backwards in our methods of dealing effectively with the disease; the statement as to the frequency of glandular enlargement, other than those due to trypanosome infection is undoubtedly true. The difference in the causative agent however can only be determined by gland puncture and microscopical examination. The alternative method apparently in use in Nyasaland that of the examination of films made by native assistants will probably result in the finding of a very small percentage of the infections, namely those in whose blood trypanosomes happen to be fairly numerous at the time when the films were taken. Gland puncture is essential in the differentiation of the cause of these enlargements. This method of diagnosis, which though by no means perfect, is the best we have at present at our disposal and to neglect it will result in a very false and underestimate of the prevalence of the disease. LUANGWA VALLEY. Serenje Districtm This was palpated in the neighbourhood of the Luangwa River by Dr. Leach during December, 1910, and January, 1911. The northern part in proximity to the two Serenje—Fort Jameson roads by Dr. Brown during August and September. No cases of the disease were found. Pstauke Districtm In the neighbourhood of Hargreaves, Petauke and in proximity to the river; this has been twice palpated by Dr. Leach and once by myself. Dr. Leach found eleven cases of the disease; my examination during November and December resulted in the finding of five cases. The Southern Border Road as far as Nyanje was examined during October by Dr. Farndale with negative results. Chinunda’s district was examined by Drs. Leach and Wallace, result five cases. I examined the Chinunda—Fort Jameson Road ^ during October with negative result. Lundaxi District. Dr. Wallace during part of November, December and January made a thorough examination of the whole Lundazi district and a part of the Fife district, 19087 people being seen—a very large proportion of the whole population. These people are rather reluctant to submit to examination and the fact that such a large proportion were seen in due to the valuable
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