| RefNo | NLB/13/780 |
| AltRefNo | NLB/13 p460-461 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Copy letter from Michael Foster, to David Bruce, [Fellow of the Royal Society] |
| Date | November [1896] |
| Description | [Copy type script, faded to illegibility in parts] Discusses the animals brought on the 'Illovo'. The guinea pig had no haematozoon and no symptoms of any kind. Regarding the Nagana dog, the Nagana haematozoon, so far as they can tell, is distinct from the sewer rat haematozoon and they are going to work this in detail.
Several cats, dogs, rats, mice and guinea pigs have been injected. The cats, dogs and mice have pathological changes such as Bruce describes. They can say nothing of the rabbit yet and are going to try horses and donkeys et cetera.
One of the first pieces of work will of course be immunisation. They suppose Bruce is not in a position to prepare serum, not having any laboratory, and until they can suggest something definite for Bruce to try, it seems hardly worth his while making rough experiments.
The programme Bruce has sketched out in his letter to the Governor seems admirable and the Society has little to suggest.
Outlines the points it seems desirable for Bruce to concentrate upon; physical characters and exact topography of the fly districts and injecting blood from wild animals into dogs.
Asks if Bruce has ever examined his own blood or the blood of anyone bitten by the fly and asks if the blood of one who had been so bitten would produce Nagana if injected into a dog or horse.
Bruce rather mistook the Society's proposal about the entomologist, the Society did not mean him to study the haematozoon but the life and natural history of the fly itself. Repeats that nothing is further from the Society's wish than to take anything from Bruce's hands or in any way to 'diminish his kudos'.
As regards immunisation, as they have a haematozoon they must not expect the ordinary bacteriological method of securing immunity to succeed, though it may.
Foster hopes to be able to send out copies of the report almost immediately. |
| Extent | 2p |
| Format | Carbon |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8153 | Bruce; Sir; David (1855 - 1931) | 1855 - 1931 |
| NA8220 | Foster; Sir; Michael (1836 - 1907); physiologist | 1836 - 1907 |