Indian Kala Azar Commission

Abstract

IN the issue of NATURE dated December 6, 1924, page 840, under a notice of the anniversary meeting of the Royal Society, mention is made of an investigation to be carried out under the auspices of that Society upon kala azar in India. The steady spread of kala azar in India has for long been a most disquieting feature in certain provinces. Recently, as a result of the action of certain Provincial Governments in providing and encouraging treatment in the villages, the number of cases that have come forward has shown the disease to be prevalent, more particularly in Assam, Bengal, and Behar, to an extent hitherto unsuspected. The number of cases treated has steadily increased as the benefits of treatment have become known, until the total for 1924 in Assam and Bengal alone has exceeded 100,000 treated cases. But this probably represents only a portion of the actual incidence of the disease. There is reason also to believe that even in recent years kala azar has extensively invaded new tracts, e.g. whilst in 1910 only a few foci were to be found in Upper Assam, infection in the villages of the southern portion of this area is now almost universal. There is no question, therefore, as to the menace of this disease, which has something of the relation to India that sleeping sickness has to Africa.