Record

NLB - New Letter Books: copies of outgoing administrative letters of the Royal Society
- 14 - New Letter Book volume 14, copy letters sent from Royal Society administration

RefNo	NLB/14/501
AltRefNo	NLB/14 p283-285
Level	Item
Title	Copy letter from Michael Foster, to Sir William Hely-Hutchinson
Date	11 March 1897
Description	The Society has sent Hely-Hutchinson as he wished 100 copies of [David] Bruce's report, also 25 copies to the Colonial Office and about 30 copies to Institutions and persons in England and abroad by whom it would be appreciated. Sends enclosed a letter with suggestions to Bruce which Hely-Hutchinson might read before sending it on to him, and also two copies of a memorandum drawn up, of what the Committee has done, annotated up to date, one for Bruce and one for Hely-Hutchinson [no attachments]. Hely-Hutchinson will see from this memorandum, that the Society is being driven to abandon the idea of an anti-toxin kind of remedy [to Tsetse fly], that they are trying for an ordinary immunizing serum but without any great hopes of success; and that the work on the biology of the haematazoon, is distinctly pointing to their being phases of the life of the haematazoon outside the body of the Nagaland diseased animal. If they can track out these phases they may find a way to stop it and some of the Society's suggestions to Bruce are based upon this view. The Colonial Office wish to know when this inquiry is to come to a head and the Society cannot give a definite answer. So far in the enquiry they have not struck upon anything which could serve as the leading principle of any work which a special entomologist would be required for, and it does not seem wise to send anyone out on a blind errand. So far all the expenses to be met by the grant of £1240, which the Colonial Office had promised, are those of Bruce's salary and Bruce's own work, the Society is paying itself for overwork at home, and it is more important that Bruce should keep on working, either on his own ideas or the Society's suggestions according to his own judgment. The sum ought to last for some time. Hely-Hutchsinson will see that the Society have made a suggestion to Bruce as to a method of getting the fly to England alive. If successful this would enable them to attack several points without interfering with Bruce's own work. Hopes shortly to send a memo by [Harry] Marhsall Ward on the last locust fungus consignment; Marshall Ward says it is very different from anything which he has seen before. From such scant notices as have reached the Society, [Heinrich Hermann Robert] Koch seems to have been successful with Rinderpest. The Society always felt that Rinderpest was much more hopeful than the Tsetse and promised to be a much shorter business, more easily producing kudos; and it is rather 'hard' that the Society have lost that. However if they do get to the bottom of the Tsetse [problem], the ultimate reward will be even greater.
Extent	3p
AccessStatus	Open
RelatedMaterial	For copy letter to David Bruce see NLB/14/500

Fellows associated with this archive

Code	PersonName	Dates
NA8220	Foster; Sir; Michael (1836 - 1907); physiologist	1836 - 1907
NA8153	Bruce; Sir; David (1855 - 1931)	1855 - 1931
NA1536	Koch; Heinrich Hermann Robert (1843 - 1910)	1843 - 1910
NA6966	Ward; Harry Marshall (1854 - 1906)	1854 - 1906

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