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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    The possibility ol; removal while trj'panosomes are temporarily absent from the peripheral circulation as the result of treatment must be considered. This, if practical, would obviate the danger of the spread of infection from the ])atient en route but would not in anj’ way meet the difficulties arising from the natives, fear and distrust of segregation and would require for its effective working such a great increase in staff and expenditure that its possible advantages are more than counter-ljalanced l)y its known disadvantages. Since therefore segregation is neither an advantage to the individual or the communitj' but rather a soui-ce of danger it is recommended that for the present except in the neighbourhood of stations and in connection with the amalgamation an<l removal of villages, where it is practicable and effective, it be discontinued to be regarded as an essential in prophylaxis. 3. REMOVAL OF THE POPULATION. To (lei)opulate the Luangwa closed area containing jirobahly 1‘2(),()()() ])eople may 1 think be taken as an impossiliility, the natural difficulties are enormous, tlie population would immediately become antagonistic, the staff required for the work would be immense, and an increased mortality from the disease, and several years famine would be the almost inevitable results. The method which I now suggest for your Honour’s consideration is a modification of 2 ami 3, and roughly consists of the amalgamation and removal of the more conveniently iilaced villages to a suitable fly free area, where centralisation could be effected in the treatment of disease and also in tli0 necessary supervision required to ensure no return to dangerous areas. A movement of this sort will be to some extent limited in its applicability and must necessarily be gradual. The selection of suitable sites, the preparation of gardens and provision for food supplies will take a considerable time. In addition to this it is further recommended for tlie whole area that : 1. Natives in fly areas should be prohilhted from keeping domestic animals goats, sheep, dogs, &c. 2. That they should lie encouraged by means of trapping, pits, drives, and if possible in being allowed a certain number of firearms, to clear the vicinity of all villages in fly country of game, and that except in the vicinity of villages game should be as far as po.ssil)le unmolested in order to prevent their movement into areas free of infection. 3. That natives should be encouraged to protect all cultivated lands, by means of cuttings or clearings from fire, with the oliject of allowing a more complete clearance to be made bj means of grass fires. At present in many places the native is reluctant to start a grass fire owing to the danger of losing his crops thereby. 4. That the headman of each village should lie encouraged by means of small payments, to rid as far as possible the immediate vicinitv of his