AFRICAN SCOURGE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 184, 2 May 1933, Page 7

AFRICAN SCOURGE

Drowsy Touch of Death

DREADED NAGANA A recent report read in the House of Commons said that progress was being made in eombaliiig the dreaded African scourge nagana, or sleeping sickness. Medical commentators** with a full knowledge of "the drowsy touch of death” have said that it is "one of the blackest clouds hovering over the civilisation of Africa." and that "what the plague has been in the past to Europe, sleeping sickness is to Africa." Nagana is carried by the tsel. e lly, and the victims of its bite suffer a disease which is characterised by fever, lassitude, weakness and protracted lethargy. The malady was noticed by slavers engaged in shipping their human cargoes to America. Slaves who developed the disease were thrown overboard to the sharks, and after this inhuman practice many ships altered their course to pick up new cargoes. “Lazy Niggers” Examined. The slavers wore quick to realise that "lazy niggers” on the wharves and decks, wilh saliva dropping from their mouths and insensible to (lain, were exceedingly unprofitable. On securing a new consignment of human freight they examined the necks of the slaves for swollen glands, an indication of the existence of nagana. The opening tip of Equatorial Africa spread the disease to the Congo, Uganda and Rhodesia, and within Inree years of its introduction 100.000 natives died in Uganda. .Stanley, the explorer, is charged with being responsible for the introduction of nagana into Uganda, where, in one district, the population was reduced from 300.000 to 100,000 in seven years, and whole villages were depopulated. A number of Europeans who have been treated in the early stages of the disease are said to have been cured, but the outlook is hopeless in the later stages. Next to the mosquito the tsetse fly is the most dangerous of biting insects. "The history and destiny of the African continent.” it was once said, “has

been and will be largely controlled by these insects.” The fly is about the size of the common house lly, somewhat more elongated, and is dark brown, or yellowish in colour. Victim Brought to London. 1 The first victim of the disease was brought to London in 1891 for study by Sir Stephen McKenzie, and two more cases arrived in London in 1900 under the care of Sir Patrick .Manson. In 1919. 541 human cases were reported; in 1920, 890; in 1921. victims were reported at the rate of four a day; and in 1924 there were 3029 eases. Sir Patrick Manson was responsible for the sending of three doctors to Africa to study the disease and one of them. Dr. Castellan!, found that the tsetse fly sucks up the parasites from animals on which it feeds, and after they have been developed in its body it lodges them in victims through the punctured wound it makes. -The parasites when lodged in human beings make their way to the blood vessels al the base of the brain and clog them. Dr. Klein and Dr. Fischer, through the courtesy of the British Government were able t< try out a new remedy known as "Bayer 205.” which was injected into the blood stream of victims and attacks the parasites. The two doctors claimed a number of cures. In 1907 tile Germans offered a prize for a cure for animals. The prize attracted a man called Captain Harvey, and he bought a sick horse from a native chief for use in his experiment. Harvey set about his cure, but the animal became worse. After silting up with it al! night during a crisis, however. the anima 1 recovered. .The cure caused great jealousy among the witch doctors, and certain' of the medical profession objected so strongly that only the intervention of influential friends prevented Harvey from being recalled. Several questions were asked in the House of Commons about his cure. but. sad to relate, it was pigeon-holed. No cases of nagana have been reported in New Zealand, but there was a case aboard a sailing vessel at Sydney Harbout some years ago. The subject was a negro who had shipped at Cape Town. There have been cases of a much similar disease in New Zealand. which affects children, the symptoms being much like those of infantile paralysis. It has caused a number of deaths.