§ Dr. CHAPPLEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his promise to take drastic action for the prevention of sleeping sickness in Nyasaland when he was satisfied that game is a reservoir and Glossina morsitans a carrier of the trypanosome disease still holds good; and, if so, whether he will now indicate, in the face of the evidence of these scientific facts, what his action is to be?
Mr. HARCOURTI have nothing to add to the very full reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 16th April.
§ Dr. CHAPPLEIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that some action ought 1113 to be taken, and that in the reply recently given by him no action was promised; and that the sufferings from this disease to domestic animals and the natives have grown to be very serious indeed?
Mr. HARCOURTYes, Sir, I would not for a moment deny the seriousness of the spread of the disease; what I am waiting for is information that is sufficiently definite to justify me in destroying species, either of wild or domestic animals.
§ Dr. CHAPPLEMay I ask if sufficient evidence has not been placed before the right hon. Gentleman to justify him in concluding that game is a reservoir and the fly mentioned a carrier of the disease; and that therefore these two factors are the cause of the spread of the disease?
Mr. HARCOURTThe evidence, so far as it has gone at present, tends rather to prove that wild animals, domestic animals, and man are all carriers of the disease. I have not yet been able to decide which, or whether all of them, should be destroyed.
§ Dr. CHAPPLEIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that when domestic animals contract the disease they die rapidly or are killed?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot carry on an argument upon the question.