Papers relating to the investigation of malaria and other tropical diseases and the establishment of schools of tropical medicine.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Papers relating to the investigation of malaria and other tropical diseases and the establishment of schools of tropical medicine. 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.

    6/44 (page 6)
    <4Tant will defray the shares of all Exchequer-aided tropical Colonies and Protectorates in such initial cost, and that the remaining moiety thereof will be contributed by other Colonies and the Niger Coast Protectorate. This left to the Crown Colonies, likely to be benefited by the new proposals, to provide £1,775 for the Tropical School and £4,400 for the Malaria Commission, the total cost of which, including the expenses of all three enquirers, was finally estimated at £5,000, of which only £600 would be provided from Koyal Society funds. As the two objects were akin, I decided to ask the Crown Agents to open a common fund, and, taking into consideration what Colonies would be likely to reap most benefit from the proposals if successfully carried out, and what Colonies could afEord to con- tribute most liberally, I invited contributions as under :— £ Gambia 200 Sierra Leone »«. ... ... ... ... 300 Gold Coast 1,000 Lagos ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,000 Niger Coast Protectorate ... ... ... 1,000 Ceylon ... ... ... ... ... ... 650 Straits and Malay States ... ... ... 650 Hong Kong ... ... ... ... ... 500 Trinidad ... ... ... ... ... 500 Jamaica... ... ... ... ... ... 500 British Guiana ... ... ... ... ... 500 Mauritius ... ... ... ... ... 150 Fiji 100 The total asked for was £7,050 as against an estimated expenditure of £6,175,. leaving a margin for contingencies. One half of the sum required was invited from the British Colonies and Protectorates in West Africa, as being most vitally concerned in the object to which the money was to be devoted ; and, as the work of the Malaria Commission was expected to extend over two years, it was suggested that the con- tributions might be made in two annual instalments. The response from the Colonies was very satisfactory. Ceylon contributed £l,000, the Straits Settlempnts and the Federated Malay States between them nearly the same amount. Trinidad £700, and all the other Colonies the sums which were asked from them, though I only accepted £250 from Jamaica in view of the condition of the island finances at the time when the money was voted. Only £150 was asked for from Mauritius, a small sum in proportion to the size and importance of the Colony and to its interest in the schemes. This was due to the fact that the financial condition of the Colony at the time did not warrant a large contribution. Subsequently a further sum of £100 was invited from the Colonial Legislature and readily voted ; and other supplementary contributions—which enabled the work of the Malaria Commission to be prolonged—were £lOO from St. Lucia and £50 each from Southern Nigeria, Gold Coast, and British Hondiu'as. The entire management of the fund was left to the Crown Agents, who realised by investments £300, and a statement of receipts and expenditure is appended. It will be noted, on the expenditure side, that some of the money was applied to a supplementary expedition to the Campagna, to which reference will be made hereafter. There are two or three small outstanding claims which have not yet been settled,, but it is antici})ated that the unexpended balance of the fund will amount to about £150, which might be transferred to the new fund referred to in the last paragraph of this despatch, if the scheme which I propose in that paragraph commends itself to the Crown Colonies and Protectorates. 12. Iw antici[)ation of the opening of the tropical school, a circular despatch was on the 19th of August, 1898,addressed to the Governors of Crown Colonies, which enclosed a short memorandum inviting for use in the school the collection of pathological specimens, and anj material likely to be of value for teaching purposes. On the 15th of December following, a copy of that despatch was sent to the self-governing Colonies. The 2nd of October, 1<S99, was nanuMl by the Connnittee of the Seamen's Hospital Society as the date at wliich the school would be opened. In the meantime,, the Committee had consented to an arrangement, subsequently communicated to the Governors of tropical Colonies in my circular despatch of 19th September, 1900, under