Entebbe encounter (1989)

on the 25th of April 1902 I was present at the meeting of the malaria committee of the Royal Society and there's a John Kirk in the chair the Foreign Office had been receiving reports of a serious outbreak of sleeping sickness in Uganda and councillor requested our committee to advise on the problems posed by the alarming spread of the disease with it economic and political implications yes gentlemen as you're very well aware the next item on our agenda is one which causes us all the utmost concern and is attracting considerable international interest the Ugandan protectorate is in the throes of a severe epidemic of sleeping sickness reports are coming to us from the Colonial Office and other sources that the disease is spreading at an alarming rate doctors Albert and John cook who first reported the appearance of the disease in East Africa have informed us that such as the overwhelming number of incurable cases begging for their help that they've had no other choice than to close the missionary Hospital in Bengal to these unfortunate wretches and as usual our friends at the colonial and foreign office have taken their time to alert us well as you know dr. Manson by virtue of his association with the foreign and colonial offices has been doing his utmost to bring home to those concerns the seriousness of the situation I'm sure but what do they intend to do well as a result of dr. Manson's efforts I pleased to tell you that events have now taken a step forward the foreign secretary has considered favorably our recommendation that a small commission should be dispatched to investigate the disease how do they expect this commission to be funded well I have a reply from the Treasury concerning financial arrangements for the support of the proposed investigation it is agreed the cost of locomotion to and from Uganda and subsistence allowances shall be defrayed by the Treasury all other expenses to be met by the Royal Society in other words the Treasury are sharing their typical generosity yes we'll be that as it may gentlemen it now rests with this committee to appoint the members of the Commission to be sent out to Uganda I hope you'll realize that it's going to be extremely difficult to find senior and experienced men willing to go yes perhaps sir there's no doubt we're going to have to look to the younger men not the Commission however small requires a leader I would suggest that it should comprise one man whose senior enough to act as this together with two ovens man's I have as you know being given me a spat at a good deal of thought of course I agree we need a man in charge he needs to be a good all-rounder I would have thought our Krag scholar at the London School would fill the bill I'm thinking Carmichael Lowe he's young ish but he's a stickler for discipline and that will be required and a chap who I feel will cope with the sort of problems that had bound to arise I think Ross feels at cuspid Christie might be a possibility yes he seems to be doing extremely well he's had a good deal of experience in the tropics sooner all over the place Central and South America Africa and a stint in the played laboratory at Bombay working with half keen it should be good in the field I would think well he might be just the chap to do the field work he Suns an independent type I don't think I doubt that independent or not what we need is some clear evidence as to his scientific ability naturally I'll look into it well does anybody have any further suggestions yes Manson there's been a lot of work done mainly on the continent suggesting various bacterial causes of sleeping sickness we ought to send a good and careful bacteriologist out there now we've got the chance Manson isn't a very promising young chap at the London oh you mean George Soudan yes yes yes well he's only just qualified as far as I know he's very young still he's done very well so far if you go it'd be as good as anybody if he'll go well I must say we don't seem to be inundated with suitable candidates for this commissioner so am I to assume that we are agreed to proceed with the matter apropos loam sodden and Christie's willingness and suitability in order to give the Foreign Office a quick decision well I would suggest that this committee resolves that the government grant body be requested to initiate a grant of 600 parts towards the expenses of the investigation by layeth as the matter of apparatus and equipment tribuite suggests these problems are referred to Colonel Bruce Michael dr. Manson and major Ross who will kindly deal with them and report back to us Reed now gentlemen time passes and we must turn our attention to another matter I have here a letter relating to an outbreak of fever in solution I only heard about it yesterday as much bad damn pity sound gone girl there to expect something like this Christie's accepted though oh yes quite definite about it thank God for that I thought he'd jump at the chance to get out there one more to add to his list of trophies good evening gentlemen no battery pretty fantastic I thought we might make our task or more congenial by meeting here you have died in position Oh indeed I'm just waiting for a good dose of pork now I think we would all welcome that all agree well what do you think of the news about certain oh yes a little bird told me but what I thought you'd all be talking about is this plan of running trains underneath London yes I saw that they're calling it a a tube system to the suburbs how absurd what we ought to be thinking about is who's going to take soudons place but a badly in need of a bacteriologist current heavy you suggested that you might be able to recommend somebody from the London School well maybe there's a last resort are you sure there isn't any young officer you could recommend unfortunately no we paid him I grew myself if the War Office would pay me properly well you know the War Office better than I do David I fear they won't cough up a single penny they don't have to now don't you all be amused to hear that when I ask my senior class if any of them would like to go out to Uganda every damn one of them stood up really so we're setting up a little examination next week and the man who comes out on top might be offered the chance to go provided he has the character to take it on they're all very young to be pushed into the situation in Uganda but maybe it's for the best one mustn't underestimate youth you know can you let us know the results of your competition Oh Adaline next week there's no sense in procrastinating then we will have our decision in good time for the next council meeting oh yeah I suppose you haven't got anybody up your sleeve well there is a very good young Italian in the class but we'll see that's we better get down to details of equipment and the program this kindergarten is to undertake seems to me we will spell out very clearly just what's expected of them but all we must specify absolute loyalty to the society you know it Castellini he's still working I met for it so George he must have been sitting at that bench all day you know have to slow up a bit my dear George sometimes I think I am beginning to go a little mad I see things down the microscope and yet out here I feel quite unable to believe in what I see nothing seems certain if it was not for your encouragement I couldn't go on come on favors aren't so bad you're lucky at least you got something positive to show for your time out here I cannot believe I was going to make my name's sorting out Manson's filaria pass stones to the resounding glory of a London school and whatever find the medical officers out here have proved that flurry of pistons has nothing whatever to do with sleeping sickness Moffat and I have merely confirmed Hodges and Wiggins work and no doubt all we need now is for that bastard Christie to put in his brilliant report to finally bury the parasite for good god knows where he's got to I haven't seen him for weeks according to Wiggins he's out chasing butterflies most of the time when he's not kicking baskets of rotten eggs over a threatening people with guns thank god he's not I wonder what Christie's thought when Wiggins told that chief he was balmy and suffered from the brain storms he was sure they were both going to be murdered they were very lucky to escape he was right about the brain storms well and what's gone wrong today you know how I worry although I am sure I have discovered a new strap I haven't seen it in enough cases to completely movie ignitions I just need a few more positive post-mortems you know you really ought to write up your results even though it is early days why don't you put together a paper for the Royal Society and I'll send it in with my report hmm at least it'll show them that we haven't been idle don't you think I ought to get a few more positive results first although I'm sure it is this trap I still have to prove it well you must certainly continue the work so that you have enough cases documented to prove that the strip is the cause and that's gonna take time I think it would be a pity not to put in a preliminary report at this stage I mean after all you're pretty sure that your results so far are accurate and highly suggestive and you're only going to see that much you really ought to get your name attached to the discovery you know if you wait too long somebody else will get in there before us and your theory that this gem is the cause of sleeping sickness asleep yes the one good thing to come out of this commission and don't forget that Moffat and his friends have got a disaster on their hands with this epidemic and they're more than keen to get on with plans to isolate cases to to prevent the spread of the disease I'm so afraid I might not be right George I couldn't bear to make a fool of myself and let us all down the Foreign Office will be involved with the isolation plans they just think what they'll say about that yang if I Anna if I involve them in all of that money but no sense and what if you're right and you can come up with a vaccine one day think of the lives you may save anyway pack up now and get that report off your chest tomorrow no I've just carry on a little while longer well not too long I'll see you later dr. Mora Chester castellani hello Moffatt it's good to see you you all right because there you haven't slept for nights I don't think there is anything seriously wrong I'm just tired well the last couple months have been rather difficult for you now that loes gone home and of course your other team member Christy hasn't exactly been available life out here can take a lot out of you because you are finding out young man we all seem to survive you know look Castellani I've had some news by Government House my paper yes the Royal Society is still been difficult over publishing it the Foreign Office is pushing really hard now for a positive opinion so they can go ahead with plans for the isolation of cases and money for the production of a vaccine but what about the results well despite your increased evidence for the strip the Royal Society will not commit themselves very far on the question of its significance they realize our money is available for the isolation of cases but they feel that the epidemic is a matter of imperial significance and in a nutshell they're sending out the big guns they should be here by the middle of March but who Moffat Oh dr. Nabarro the first-class young scientist together with Colonel Bruce no doubt should be getting a letter in a week or two explaining all this I hope you don't take this the wrong way I know Colonel Bruce can be a bit of a bear but I'm sure you'll find them both helpful and you won't be on your own and I believe mrs. Bruce is a very kind woman also a very talented one if you must have a hard time making up for a husband's boorishness anyway but don't forget to come and see me if you're feeling worried you must look after your health not done they're still not going to publish my paper I must be sure I'm wrong I wish I knew what George told them last month and you it was too good to be true you really oughta get your name attached to the discovery you know don't you think I ought to get a few more positive results first I'm what if you're right still only finding this thread in the terminal stages never in the early stages maybe it's just a secondary infection it may be that deep in her soul for positive since November 1 in the blood just before Christmas why didn't I tell George before he left don't be stupid Hairston's was just like the trip and Manson was wrong Amonson can afford to be wrong of course that's why they're sending out the grouse he has suspected a Trypanosoma stay cause she would have told the gorge what a fool I look I'm so afraid I might not be related George if it is the tripi Nizam I can just see Burroughs telling me how stupid I've been because I missed it Mustard's us someone about my discovery someone else will take it accredit castellani exciting news Baker has made a most marvelous discovery and we want you to have a look at it and tell us what you think oh of course Moffat anything I can do come in come in s Moffitt told you Castellani only that you have made a wonderful discovery well this constable came to see me this morning not feeling too well he has a history of no I won't tell you any more but I would be very grateful for your opinion on his blood of course I'm just going to take a sample of blood from your finger yes sir I know well as you are both well aware these are trippin Adams you agree no doubt hey Rekha you're famous Muffit you realize what this means don't you we have Trypanosoma fever here now as well as in the Gambia if this thing gets going we're going to have two major epidemics on our hands there the sleeping sickness wonder if the trips could be carried by something like I must turn Baker about my discovery he ought to be very interested in all this well that's ready Christ something hey castellani oh yes yes well we'll see about that now don't you go under estimating your discovery Baker it's about time we colonial doctors were appreciated for our work not all the brains redundant liver for look how dutton took out a fourth case in Bathurst yeah well they're just expected to deal with the routine stuff no thanks money or time to do anything grand his research that's left of the real scientists from home please excuse my enthusiasm for my colleagues right well Maui Jody thanks again casted on Oh Baker yes there is something I must tell you castle on a fine morning yes I hope they're on time Colonel Bruce like to be punctual look more fit something has been bothering me I must talk give me your promise that you will not to tell anyone what I'm going to say what's the matter since the law went home I have examined quite a few cases of sleeping sickness and in a number of these cases I have found trypanosomes in the cerebrospinal fluid good heavens Gaston honey that may have something to do with the disease now no I don't think that for a moment I think the presence of the trypanosomes is merely an accident just like the filari appear stands we found in so many cases I'm not sure it is of any importance as a regard to sleeping sickness and I have only told you because I did not intend to tell the Coronel Bruce what oh why does not I only want you to know because after I have left they may come across it himself yes and then you will be able to tell him that I have already discovered it oh well I suppose you know what you're doing I'll honor your competence where you would thank you it's like Jojo a valuable scientific instrument in there that'll country this I'm glad to get all the stuff safely off the moon well I shan't be sorry to let it her Sabine's we played really you realize I suppose it'll be quite some time to get all our luggage awful and be surprised if we lined up with a load of mangoes mangoes my fear are the noise might find something harmless example god what a good I can see the pin I think I can see some people waiting for us I didn't really hope that doctor Castelar is among I think well there's telegrams first he's going home then he's gonna be being ambassador then at the last minute he thinks he'll meet me here that will help the little I try if he doesn't turn up this time I said it'd be damn lucky to get that paper published at all but he's so young must have been very difficult idea as long as you are being too kind very bad may not be nearly as bad as you feel and you know you're dying to get into that to find out what's really going on to Moffitt sir I hope you had a good trip oh and you too mrs. Bruce not at all bad thank you dr. Moffat nevertheless I'm sure you must be both quite tired I should like to introduce some of my colleagues before you get rushed off to see the Commissioner dr. Baker my medical offices I'm sure you'll be as pleased as we are to our great two news doctor Baker has made a great discovery only two or three days ago he discovered trypsin zones in the blood of one of his patients a man from Uganda did quite some time for this before I say anything else Castellani I must tell you that I consider your behaviour discreet please sit down : Oh Bruce would you like a drink no thank you go through your work first of course but before I show you my work I want to tell you something in confidence it is very important to me and it is only since this morning that I've decided to tell you that I want you to promise certain things before I do so I'm not in the habit of making promises what on earth is all this nonsense Castellani up no no there are many times out here when I have thought I was going off on my head but I can assure you I'm perfectly sane about what I'm going to tell you and now extremely personal to me it concerns my work I've discovered something which I begin to think may be of importance at first I did not but now now I quite simply do not know and I must do more about to settle the question what are these conditions first and that I may remain a few weeks more in Uganda to continue my experiments secondly that one my work until my departure from Uganda will be independent and my own and thirdly that at the end of my stay in Uganda I shall write a paper and this paper will bear my name only but first it could be worse did you agree to these conditions calling out to us I don't seem to have any choice would you better make sure that this paper you're going to write is a damn sight better than the one you sent us in October nunim I think that you better tell me what it is you found that you think may be so important last November not long before dr. Lowe left for England I was looking for strips in specimens of cerebral spinal fluid taken from cases of a sleeping sickness I had had the idea of of centrifuging the fluid in order to catch any bacteria in the deposit and increase my chances of finding them and I found a trip in a zone they do my job you sure have you found trips in any other cases oh yes I've looked at 15 cases and found trips in the fluid of five of them I also found the trip in the blood of one of these cases just before Christmas that's interesting there's no good speculating about this your shortest trips that you see of course identical with the ones dr. Baker found in his policeman how much longer do you need here about a month well since I am forced to accept your terms you better get started get on your own as far as experiments are concerned mrs. Bruce and I together with sergeant Gibbons will give you all the technical help you need let's make sure the others don't know what you're about that means keeping them out of the laboratory that's not going to be easy thank you for now oh also when I have finished my paper would you be kind enough to look at it and correct any of my language mistakes yes yes of course No first things first number one you must Rumi how you carry out this examination and demonstrate the presence of a trip in this room that'll give us a starting point anyway and if you can't do that the whole thing is off of course the the Trypanosoma assuming it's there may be of no more significance than the filarial past ends these natives are full of parasites on the other hand as you well know it could be of enormous significance if it turns out to be the specific cause of sleeping sickness now I can have no opinions in this matter until I have more evidence it's gonna take a lot of hard work and quite little time I must say I tend to think that the bacterial agent is more likely I personally put my money on the streptococcus yes but that is mere guesswork at this stage you must keep an open mind on this to Castelar a very serious situation in uganda the Foreign Office is pressing the Royal Society for a firm decision so that they can get money from the Treasury to go ahead with their segregation plans and of course the search for a vaccine as yet we have no proof of the nature of the agent against which would expect you to make a vaccine god help us the Royal Society is in a very difficult position without watertight evidence to support our views we expose ourselves to severe criticism and discredit that's why we didn't rush to publish your preliminary report I'm sure you understand now a little better that's why we acted as we do but that's enough for one evening I know when I set out just what I was going to hear we haven't even looked at your notebooks yet tomorrow you must show me your centrifuging technique find that Trypanosoma hope and then later in the day and they'll go through the bacterial work and don't forget an open mind yes colony no what about on April the 5th 1903 I left Entebbe and returned to London later that year I was appointed director of the bacteriological Institute in Colombo where I spent 12 happy years sat and only by the unjust allegations about my discovery in Entebbe the suggestion that I was unaware of the possible role of the Trypanosoma the cause of sleeping sickness before David Brewster yesterday told me is untrue at that time I considered both the trypanosome and the streptococcus as the possible cause however I have survived these criticisms and hope that my discovery has been of some value in the understanding of sleeping sickness you