9
to the Home Government, and by offering to give financial or other assistance
towards the appointment of the intelligence officers, the establishment oí the
central Intelligence Bureau, and the institution of any scientific enquiry which
may be carried out under the auspices of the Royal Society. Although the
evidence at present available indicates that India is not in immediate danger, the
continuous receipt of first-hand information on the subjects already mentioned, is,
I think, of such importance that if the Home Government, acting through the
colonies, are not able to arrange for the appointment of intelligence officers,
India will be compelled to ensure her safety by appointing such officers from her
own medical service.
Secondly, it is very necessary, I think, that India should proceed uninterrup-
tedly with the systematic investigation of the stegomyia problem according to a
definite scheme, as well as with the continuous improvement and house to house
extension of public constant water supplies, combined with the abolition of
cisterns and other water-storage receptacles, and, in general with the continuous
carrying out of such measures as are of permanent value in reducing the breeding
places of stegomyia mosquitoes.
Thirdly, one other problem calling for enquiry on the part of India must be
mentioned, namely, the problem of the possible spread of yellow fever by way of
the Cape of Good Hope. So far as I am aware, attention has not hitherto been
drawn to this subject, but any one who studies a mercantile marine chart of the
South Atlantic Ocean will see that the problem of the spread of yellow fever
across it, either directly or by way of the islands of Ascension and St. Helena, is
very similar to the problem of its spread across the Pacific, either directly or by
way of the Hawaiian and Fiji islands. Rio de Janeiro is nearly 1.500 miles
nearer to the Cape than Panama is to Honolulu and the Cape is 500 miles nearer
to Colombo than Honolulu is to Hong Kong. In Capetown, which is at latitude
33°S., as in Yokohama, which is at latitude 35°N., there is, I understand, no
record of the presence or absence of stegomyia fasciata,
(4) Finally I recommend a reform which I think should be carried out inde-
pendently of the scheme outlined above, as being urgently necessary both for
general reasons and for the special reason of the possible introduction of yellow
fever. Î refer to the advisability of strengthening the line of sanitary defence for
our Eastern colonies and for India especially in Hong Kong. \ have recorded
in Section III my opinion regarding the present arrangements for the inspection
and control of ships and for quarantine in that port. It is not at present clear
what satisfactory steps could be taken if a ship infected with yellow fever were to
arrive at the port, and it is greatly to be hoped that a modern quarantine station
adequate to the needs of a shipping centre of such importance, and with a
resident staff whose sole duty is to protect the port from the entry of infectious
diseases will be established without delay. The Port Health rules regarding
yellow fever might also with advantage be brought into line with modern know-
ledge, and arrangements made for the destruction of mosquitoes on ships.
III.
This section contains a general description of the conditions in most of
the ports that I visited. In order that the account may be as short as possible,
only such conditions as are of importance in connexion with yellow fever are
dealt with in it.
The 1sthmus of Panama, which is in the centre of the endemic area of
yellow fever in the New World, runs in a general direction from east to west
on or about the 9th degree of north latitude, and the Panama Canal, when
completed, will cross it in a direction approximately from north to south in
the position shown on the following map. The town of Colon, with its port
Cristobal, is at the northerly or Atlantic entrance to the canal, and the town of
Panama (which is considerably east of Colon) with its port Balboa, is at the
southerly or Pacific entrance. The territory within five miles of each side of
the centre line of the canal, together with the coast lines of the area and the
islands in Panama Bay is called the "Panama Canal zone" which, by a treaty
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