FIGHTING MALARIA

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 190, 10 May 1938, Page 11

FIGHTING MALARIA

Valuable Research Work

“Dominion" Special Service—By Air Mail. London, February 20.

It was in 1897 that Sir Ronald Ross, then of the Indian Medical Service, announced his discovery that malaria was caused by a mosquito—a discovery which has saved innumerable lives and the human race an incalculable amount of suffering. A year later the London School of Tropical Medicine was started in a very humble way in the East End. Since then the small school has become a vigorous centre of research, and is now part of the University of London. The results of the research work of the school are applied in various ways for preventive and curative purposes. West Africa was once known as the White Man’s Grave. Now the mosquito has been, if not conquered, at any rate subdued, and the terrible name no longer applies. Commercial firms with interests in the tropics are advised on health and housing matters, and medical officers may be sent out to help them on request. There is an economic side to the attack, on the mosquito. Anti-malaria measures carried out on rubber estates in Malaya reduced the cost of production by 25 per cent. Work on the Lower Gambesi bridge, in an area which for centuries had exacted a lieavy toll of life and health from malaria and blackwater fever, was finished under contract time because of the successful sanitary work undertaken.

Though much yet remains to be done. Hie London School of Tropical Medicine has already effected enormous changes us a result of its ' research .work.