New Britain herald., 1924-03-04

structiveness seemed confined to their cattle. Flies in those regions in- flicted painful bites on men, but that WAS the end of it. Closer to the equator a much more sinister side of the fly became apparent when it was found that the seemingly always fatal sleeping sickness of humans in those sections followed the bites of tho flies as did the death of domestic animals The entire future of the tropical African colonies of the various Eu- ropean powers was seen to have on the possibility of combating the sleep ing sickness; for with the greater freedom of movement stimulated by the advance of civilization, the dis ease spread from it's local centcrs and threatened to wipe out the entire population of countries. In the years just preceding the World War British, German, French, Belgian, Portuguese and Italian scientists were busy in Africa seeking to learn more about the tsetse fly and tho disease, and to find ways of combating them. l'ut though the development and trans mission of the disease came to be known in detail, none Of the inycsti- gators has claimed 10 discover any successful remedy save the Germans.
 "The investigations that disclosed the complicated plan by which nature keeps the microscopic organisms Of the sleeping sickness alive and injects them Into human victims makes q fascinating chapter Of science despite sk n .s,4,
 Animal ".cs,1zoir' and Animal
 "iypodcrmic"
 Tt vas found that there must fe large animal whose blood is of tho proper sort to constitute q reservoir for the organisms. If this reservoir is tapped by tsetsc fy inc or ganisms drawn out undergo slight change in the ny's intestines and glands and arc injected as though through a hypodermic syringe when later the fly bites q similar animal or human. It was thought at first that a succession Of ill human victims furnished the reservoirs: but all hn- mans on certain infested islands were transported. and still the flies wcre able to transmit the disease several years later. Crocodilcs were popu- Iariy suspected Of being tho 'reser- voirs' but it was proved that the dis case could not be transmitted from their blood.
 'sinaIly. by patient research. Inc fact was run down that q certain sprcios Of ant iOpe--thc Situnga-is tns guilty animal. Though Ir re- mains perfectly healthy himself. his blood may contain millions of the or canisms fatal to man. The fy. i'm bibins his daily dict Of blood from ihe inf"eted situnea. sucks in the or- gauisms. and in turn reciites no ilI eGacts rom them. But when te bf.rs 4 man. hc deals ont deadly poison. Az far as rnau is concerned. antelope nr ry would each be entire Iy harmless without the other. But fh.y have set up unconsciously an as- satfation that forms one of the most sinistcr nartner.hips iu the world.
 scientists "Isar-Mark" Thousands
 Of IIhS
 Though i' is almost impossible 10 txferfniuafe either thc antelope Of inc tsetse in Ttntra1 Africa-a step that might wipe out the diseast--it was p0ssilyic. after their dangerous relationship caDIe 10 be understood. to take certain steps Co better conditions. This vas made possible by tbs fact that tfe Nice bave restricted breeding grounds aIOnz tH- shores of lakes and gtffams. Many of fhese areas were s.s-scuateI much against the wishes Of fas natives. and aia ndoHeI 10 the nias Tsi.. result has been marked .setrase l-f tho number of eases If stepping s.ekaess iB recent years. In