Aw Asnemucan Docron's Onyescy Adventures In. Forty-Five Countries—Dy_ Victor "Helser, sto, Norton, New The reviewer has experienced extreme dimeulty In accurately assessing this book. Tt is an. unfortunate feet that when one learns that one's own nationality are thoroughly in= competent In colonization and in sanitation, one is, in spite of the consoling addenda' to the effect that the French are selfish and indifferent, the Netherlanders arrogant and ap:
parently not too efficient, and greedily monopolizing quinine, and the Germans apparently not too safe at vaccination, inclined to do a little "debunking", to use the Intest phrase, oneself, On the other hand, if one Ignores this Idlosynetasy of the author, this fascinating and instructive book which should open the eyes of the layman to the romance of world public health and at the same time fglve him a travel-book both amusing-Jy written and approaching the sub-Jeet from an unusual angle. A keen observer and a man who has had the good fortune to have had. a more varied life than mast can aspire to, the author throws a fresh light on a number of countries since he aproaches them from a rather special viewpoint and with a shrewd and whimsteal humour which, Brings the natives of the countries he visited clearly to the reader's vision. Hence, notwithstanding occasional bursts of what may be spite, the reviewer hopes that this review will not put the general reader off what will be a most ex: cellent bit of reading. "After all, even though the reviewer may think the account of the removal of plague from Manila can be described as romantic in more than one sense, since no allowance is made for the natural repercussion on an island of measures at the source of the disease, nor is any account taken of the faci that plague has also vanished in towns where radical measures were not feasible, os Shanghai, for example, this does not concern the general vender, He can read of a well-organized campaign and can appredate the decisive style of the author, "But when Hongkong described in the eighties as spree ing plague because its controllers Were more interested in trade than fuldiling their duties to the world, one is inclined to suggest a reasonable attitude would be not to view Hon Kong's doftlencies from the stan Point of fifty years later, but to con: sider whether commercial exploltation did at the same time produce river pollution and typhoid in certain countries very much more able to control it, The fact that the only big epidemic directly ascribed to "eye wash" and that. "buy of sani-arians, incorrect statistics of work done, occurred in, the administration organized by the" author might, s0 the eynleal would assume, have produced a kindlier attitude towards the minor deficiencies of others.
Shanghai Waterworks It is all very well to blame subordinates, but when other administra tions were a little doubtful of subordinates their doubts were regarded fs reactionary. "In fact, possibly for the reason that the author spent so much of his time as a travelling adviser, he seems to give sfight credit to others." An amusing instance of this is his remark that in a visit to the International Settlement Shanghai (some time in 1912/14) he held certain conversations as a result of which waterworks and sewerage systems were established! He is "not sure, however, whether this was a direct result", and one would imagine that the Shanghai Waterworks (established 1880) will also have some doubts on the subject. As to sewage, the Tiealth OMleer of the time may have had his doubts of the advisability of pumping crude sewage into the sea, an out-of-date practice which 4s desetibed in the book as causing a minor epidemic of cholera in Manito, Hence, the sewage problem of Shanghai awaited the invention of " the present convenient system in 1914) fand Its adaptation to Shanghai's needs by Sir Gilbert Fowler. Other methods might have been possible bu it is extremely improbable (with land values as they are) that they would have been feasible on account of their expense. Casual conversations thus had little oF no effect on the solution. However, if one avoids noting the disparagement of others, perhaps natural in a crusader, one' can learn of 'a very full and interesting life spent in a very useful endeavour in more parts of the world than the average person has ever heard of, let atone visited.
Starting off with a remarkable adventure at the age of 16, during which adventure the author displayed a, dispassionate sclentifle In-Terest which few could attain to, and Passing through various temporary employments, he eventually graduated (one might almost say gravitated) into medicine. It is singular to note how hho almost accidentally commenced his ife-work by wandering more oF less casually into the naval examination halls, more with the intention of find~ ing out how far he had progressed in his studies, than with the-intention of Joining the service, After a short interlude spent as an Immigration Medical Onicer, during which he managed to cram in an adventure, withthe Camorra, and visit to Egypt, the author to Manila. Here the foundation of 2 powerful health service was laid down, and fascinating chapters deal with this, and the rapid increase in general cleanliness wrought by his pioneering.
Health Campaigns When, however, one gets away from the author's prejudices, one gets excellent account of health cam= algns against cholera, plague, yaws, smallpox, etc. which' are so" well written, they are a pleasure to read, even for those to whom many—but by no means all—the methods are Part.of a dull routine, To those not quainted with the human side of such campaigns they should be excellent reading, and to those who are there are nota few novel notions which can with advantage. be copied. 'The habits of the Philippine rat seem somewhat different to. those elsewhere, as a stroll through most cities would reveal numerous dead rats and rather abolish the idea that rats die some' secret spot in the same way that elephants are supposed in the average traveller's tale, The type of ferret which tackled rats apparently in the open and came to the of its trainer was the sort which was the reviewer's boyhood ambi-lon (never realized) to own. If the relative size of the animals is con sidered it will be fairly obvious why notorious that a ferret will not tackle a large rat at bay, hence is mainly used to bolt rats for dogs etc. fo kill. "Again, the existence of cholera carriers, Lo. healthy carrier was denied at the Paris conference hence the eflescy of stool examina: tions, especially when done by mass production. methods and. without cultural verification, is not normally regarded us as useful a step for the control of epidemics as suggested. In fact, the ordinary bacteriologist, accustomed to the isolation of cholera in patients suffering from the disease and in which vibrios cannot be seen on direct examination, always feels 4 certain astonishment' when reading of {ts discovery in healthy persons by what must be microscopic examination checked at the most by G-hour culture. Stil, doubtless pre ions of this sort result in a more regul study of the passengers and a'delay which is helpful in prevention of medical examination ick.
Rat-proofing is well dealt with, but the statement that the Leviathan' was the frst rat-proofed ship is a little surprising when one remembers the hospital ship Maine in the South African War (1900). One wonders also whether the medical officer In Palestine, who was by implication a dam {00]." did not perhaps feel inclined to a tu quo que when he found the omniscient investigators so carcless as to allow one of their number to be covered with fleas during a plague outbreak. Probably the same contempt was fol for flea-proof clothes as was shown Inter in. the ook for the harmless topee.
Hookworm and Tamils It is a pity that the book omits no opportunity for sly digs, a thing some~ what surprising in a man of the not able efficiency of the author, since to ome perhaps prejudiced ' readers, such as the reviewer, they lake away some of the savour of the book which otherwise is one which it is hard to do justice to in a review, Whilst one can understand the suther's impatience, it is, perhaps, to understand why money Was not at first readily available in India during the worst period of the World War. Nor Is it fair to state that the Tamils from Madras were supplying the Far East with hook worm. Undoubtedly they represented an important source, but to exaggerate this is hardly sclentife, Hookworm is decidedly prevalent in the interior of China, but it is not necessary to look to the Tamils of India as a source of infection.
Its impossible in the space at one's disposal to do more than recommend the last chapters us a mast readable traveller's account of practically the whole of the South Seas. and for the matter of that of most other countries, which will give readers some interesting hours, and the benefit of the observations of a singularly' scientific observer with a keen sense of humour and a considerable interest in. the customs of the countries through Which he passed.
The chapters on Russia, Japan and Siam are also well worth reading,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.