24 —

places is under consideration. If this is found to be possible, the elimination of this disease as an important crippling factor among the population will be greatly hastened; otherwise it will be necessary to await the slotver action of making the treatment of infected cases as universal as possible and thus gradually diminishing the number and the intensity of the infected watering

places.

KALA-AZAR,

Forty-two cases of this disease were reported in 1928 as against 21 in 1927 and 24 in 1926. The principal increase is in Kassala Province where 18 cases are reported. These are from the valleys of the Setit and the Upper Atbara, on the western side of the province.

Owing to the construction of the Kassala-Gedaref railway, inter-communica¬ tion between this hitherto secluded area and the neighbouring districts has been greatly stimulated. It is questionable whether this increase in cases reported is due to existing disease coming under notice owing to freer movement of the population, or to an increase of the disease owing to unimmune persons visiting infected, but largely immune villages.

A third explanation is possible. The natures of the district have evacuated certain parts of the rivers Atbara and Setit as being very unhealthy owing to the prevalence of a continued fever other than malaria. It is suggested that the increase of kala-azar may be due to reoccupation of or increased traffic in these

evacuated areas. Colour is lent to this suggestion by the following incident.

A Company of the Eastern Arab Corps was in camp at a place on the Upper Atbara far from a village or any human habitation; seven soldiers contracted kala-azar. There appears to be little doubt that the disease was contracted

while the Company was in camp.

It is possibly of some significance that the site of the camp although deserted bv man is inhabited by a large colony of baboons.

The following list shows the cases reported in the Sudan during the year, their place of origin and probable place of infection

Reported from No Origin of patient Probable place of

infection

Khartoum 9 1 Shulkawi from Omdurman ... Gallabat 1 Furawi ,,

1 Abyssinian ,, Gedaref Wad Arrat 1 Nubawi ,, Deim Salman 1 1 Tagalawi ,, Khartoum ... f Gedaref

) I Bargawi ,, De m ...

1 Messelemawi from Makwar ... Kassala •• 1 Bediri from Kassala ... Kassala-Gedaref 1 Greek from Singa Singa

Berber O 1 Dongolawi from Argo Gedaref 1 Shaigi from Goz Regeb Goz Regeb

Kassala 8 1 Beni Amer from Kassala Kassala 1 Abyssinian from Gedarcf Abyssinia \ 1 Kurdi 1 ] Beni Amer

1 Shulafab

- from Gedaref

1 1 Abyssinian Wad Amd.

1 Shazi

1 Karawi 1