Editorial Note

Dr. Torrance appears, to a layman, to have got his views a little out of focus.

We are not prepared to argue about the transmission of yellow fever from one country to another by mosquitoes, be cause we know nothing about yellow fever, except that it is endemic in tro pical Africa and Central America. But there is evidence, right here in the Pacific, that the danger of the transmis sion of a similar disease from one terri tory to another, ini the body of an insect, is exaggerated.

Malaria is found all over the Western Pacific; but it stops dead at a line drawn north and south, at about meridian 170

Easi Why?

Why is there bad malaria in the Solo mons and New Hebrides, and none in the other Pacific groups, from 170 East right across to the Americas? Why is there no malaria in Fiji, which is only 500 miles east of the New Hebrides, and which has the anopheles mosquito and malarial swamps, just as in the Heb rides? For over 100 years, there has been direct maritime traffic between Solomons and Hebrides ports (malarial) and Fijian, Samoan, Gilbert, Ellice, and other Polynesian ports (non-malarial) ; but the disease, in endemic form, never has been established east of the line indicated. No special precautions have been taken against it.

It seems that, while diseases like small pox, cholera, bubonic plague, have to be stringently guarded against—and here the examination of aeroplanes would ap pear essential there are others, like malaria, which appear almost regional.

Dr. Torrance’s statement about the new Sydney—New Guinea airmail service ap parently was made in ignorance. There are no diseases endemic in New Guinea

which can be transferred to Australia by either ships or aeroplanes. It is much more important that the airmail service which now rung between Asia and Aus tralia, via Darwin, be carefully watched.' Mr. H. A. Bentley, who is a member of the Administration staff at Ocean Island, Gilbert and Ellice Colony, arrived in Sydney in August on leave. He will spend a short time in Australia before proceeding to New Zealand.

Mr. S. C. Beazley, of Western Aus tralia, arrived in Rabaul, New Guinea, bv the Macdhui in September to join the Methodist Mission as a carpenter.