African Nationhood

Chapter 294 Prevention and Control Measures
  Throughout April, Shi Jintang was shocked by the "tsetse fly hazard incident" reported by the medical department.

The current confirmed death reports add up to several thousand people, and Shi Jintang felt heartbroken when he heard this.

It’s so infuriating that immigrants go through so much trouble to get them here, only to die before they can do any good.

Since the loosening of access restrictions in Matabeleland, more and more immigrant groups have begun to settle in the settlement.

Although the settlement was cleared in the early stage, the living conditions are very favorable.

However, in order to expand the living range, trees must be cut down and tree stumps and bushes must be cleared, otherwise the land cannot be cultivated.

The immigration department repeatedly orders immigrants to pay attention to protection, but tsetse flies are too small and have a long incubation period after being infected with trypanosomes. They will be infected without knowing it, and they will basically be declared dead once they attack.

Although atropine was discovered and extracted by Europeans in 1831.

However, this thing is extracted from Solanaceae plants. The quantity is limited and extremely expensive. It is still not possible to synthesize it artificially.

This medicine can be effective as soon as a tsetse fly bite is discovered.

But when the trypanosome incubation period is over, it is basically useless.

The developed medical conditions of later generations cannot completely eradicate the harm of this fly, and the only way is to actively prevent and control it.

Later generations also classified trypanosomiasis in different regions. For example, several areas occupied by Nanhua Company were epidemic areas of "Trypanosoma Rhodesia".

There are also Trypanosoma gambiae endemic areas. The trypanosomatids in these two areas are slightly different, but the pathogenesis is the same.

Even after people in later generations are infected with trypanosomes, one in ten cannot be saved.

With the current medical conditions of Nanhua Company, it would be God's blessing to be able to save one thousandth of his life.

……

Shi Jintang had no choice but to convene a meeting with personnel from the medical department, immigration department and the three major administrative offices.

On May 5, many people gathered at the Anhai Town Conference Center.

"I don't need to announce the content of today's meeting. Let everyone talk about what to do."

Boss Shi's words were very low-pitched, and everyone's thoughts were focused on how to prevent and control pests and diseases.

Cheng Daye looked at his other colleagues, then he thought for a while and spoke first: "First of all, the publicity and education of the immigration department cannot be stopped and must be intensified.

In addition, the punishment for taking off the gauze should be increased, and those who disobey will be whipped. It is better than losing their lives!

In addition, May has entered the dry season. I suggest setting fire to the forest directly. The fire will burn out even the wild animals and tsetse fly populations.

In this way, not only can the settlement area be quickly developed, but the land can also be fertilized. "

Futong shook his head, "Water and fire are ruthless. If it is not controlled properly, it will only cause greater losses."

Both of them agreed with their opinions, so the conference room was filled with buzzing whispers, and everyone was arguing quietly about whose opinion was more correct.

Shi Jintang agrees with Cheng Daye's approach. Currently, all the major offices under the control of Nanhua Company are places with flourishing trees.

I didn't burn forests before because I didn't really realize the seriousness of the damage caused by tsetse flies. In addition, I wanted to save the wood for other uses such as building houses and ships.

Looking at it now, feeling sorry for the wood is a waste of human life. When a person dies, nothing is lost, and the wood can grow again later.

Thinking of this, Shi Jintang made up his mind, "Well, let's do it according to Commissioner Cheng's method.

During the dry season (May-October) of these months, your administration should have a plan to selectively set fire to the forest.

After clearing out the living area for the immigrants, they organized the immigrants to build settlements and outlined the scope of farming.

We will start farming in the rainy season, but now we need to grab time and land first.

After the immigrants settle down, they should take good care of themselves, practice hygiene regularly, and clean up bushes and domestic garbage regularly.

Publicity and education work must be carried out strictly and punishments severed to force them to develop good habits. Commissioner Cheng is right, it is better to suffer a little than to lose your life! "

Cheng Daye, Winston Brown and Zhou Chuanjian immediately responded in unison: "Yes."

……

After talking about the Matabeleland Office, Shi Jintang looked at Xia Wan from the medical department.

"How is your department's work on 'synthesizing atropine' going? This task was probably assigned to you at the beginning of the year."

Xia Wan looked at Boss Shi aggrievedly, "We are working on this matter, and we have never stopped contacting researchers from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals in the United States. We can only say that there is some progress at the moment, but we don't know when we will have the results. Sure!"

Shi Jintang sighed, "Come on, you guys."

After asking the medical department, Shi Jintang looked at Sansa Bruce again: "How is your contact with London?"

Sansa Bruce spread her hands and said, "Sir Terrell, the Health Secretary in Whitehall, ignored us and had no feedback on the report materials we sent.

It seems that those gentlemen did not take the "tsetse fly harm incident" that happened here seriously. "

Shi Jintang nodded and turned to Tang Kui in the corner.

"Director Tang, you sent people to Jinshan Town and arrested the nephew of the Minister of Health. You said he was hiding contraband. Remember, you are not allowed to release him without my order."

Since the last rectification of Jinshan Town, the ministers in Whitehall have sent people over to buy the gold mines and properties left by the white gangs at low prices.

Shi Jintang turned a blind eye to this, and now at the critical moment, he just used it to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey."

After receiving the order, Tang Kui immediately raised his chest, raised his head, stood at attention, saluted, and loudly replied: "As ordered!"

Shi Jintang turned to "In addition, Ding He sent people to close the gold mine of the Minister of Health near Bulawayo, saying that their gold mine contained a source of tsetse fly infection and could not be developed for the time being."

As for the gold mines near Bulawayo, Whitehall’s cabinet ministers basically have relatives who run gold mines here.

Ding He also immediately stood up and obeyed the order loudly. He must take care of the Minister of Health this time.

If he didn't come to ask Boss Shi, he wouldn't be able to continue mining gold.

……

As soon as Nanhua Company took action, a telegram from the Minister of Health came through in the evening.

Shi Jintang directly spoke in an official tone and told the Minister of Health that the matter was difficult to handle. The epidemic situation within Nanhua Company was very serious and the gold mine had to be shut down.

The Minister of Health is very sensible. He said that he would promote the establishment of the "Southeast African Tropical Pest Control Team" as soon as possible.

This research team is located in Nanhua Company, and the Ministry of Health has tentatively allocated an annual allocation of 20 pounds to prevent and control the harm of "tsetse flies".

Shi Jintang was noncommittal about this, and then the joint governor of Cape-Natal, Cecil Rhodes, personally went to Anhai Town to discuss with Shi Jintang.

“Henry, you are right about this. Many people in my Rhodesia company have also been harmed by tsetse flies.

Captain Frederick Lugard of the East Africa Company also expressed appreciation for your quick response. He also encountered a vicious "tsetse fly hazard incident" in Buganda (Uganda and Kenya).

He suggested that the three of us work together to study tsetse fly control. "

Shi Jintang nodded, "This is how it should be done, I agree."

When Governor Rhodes saw Shi Jintang nodding, he smiled and said, "Then can you let go of Sir Terrell's property restrictions now?"

Shi Jintang frowned when he heard this, "Does the authority of your Cape Governor have such great power? Is the manager in charge of my Nanhua Company?"

Upon hearing this, Governor Rhodes immediately waved his hands in embarrassment, "No, I just sent a message for Sir Terrell. How can you agree to release the ban on his property?"

Shi Jintang thought for a while, "In view of the serious epidemic situation of Nanhua Company, Sir Terrell's gold mine has a source of infection, which is improper prevention and control. A fine will be imposed. I think it will be 5 pounds."

As for the matter in Jinshan Town, he will be released once the investigation is clear. "

After hearing these words, Governor Rhodes went back. Sir Terrell's butler went to Matabeleland Office and paid a fine of 5 pounds. Only then did the Jinshan Town Police Station arrest Sir Terrell's nephew. Released.

When he returned to the mansion in Jinshan Town, he found that all the valuable things in his home had been "confiscated" by the police station. There were so many things, and it was difficult to determine which ones were prohibited, so he took them all back and checked them slowly.

At this point, the Nanhua Medical College, the Rhodesia Company, the East African Company and the British Ministry of Health jointly established the "Tsetse Fly Control Research Group". The research group was located in Anhai Town and London.

The group's research funding is allocated 20 pounds each year by the British Empire's Ministry of Health, two-thirds of which is allocated to the South China Company's account.

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  (End of this chapter)