The Colonial Disease: A Social History of Sleeping Sickness in Northern Zaire, 1900-1940 (Cambridge Studies in the History of Medicine)

The Belgians Commonly Referred To Their Colonisation Of The Congo As A 'civilising Mission', And Many Regarded The Introduction Of Western Biomedicine As A Central Feature Of Their 'gift' To Africans. By 1930, However, It Was Clear That Some Features Of Their 'civilising Mission' Were In Fact Closely Connected To The Poor Health Of Many Of The Congolese. The Europeans Had Indeed Brought Scientific Enquiry And Western Biomedicine; But They Had Also Introduced A Harsh, Repressive Political System Which, Coupled With A Ruthlessly Exploitative Economic System, Led To The Introduction Of New Diseases While Already-existing Diseases Were Exacerbated And Spread. Tropical, Or 'colonial', Medicine Was A New Field At The Turn Of The Century, Linked Closely Both To European Expansionism And Human Trypanosomiasis, Or Sleeping Sickness. In 1901 A Devastating Epidemic Had Erupted In Uganda, Killing Well Over 250,000 People. Over The Next Decades Other African Colonies, Including The Belgian Congo, Experienced Epidemic Sleeping Sickness. By The 1960s And Independence, Many Africans Had Come To Regard Sleeping Sickness As The 'colonial Disease' Because Of The Truly Draconian Measures Taken By Some Colonial Administrations In Their Attempts To Check The Spread Of The Disease. Sleeping Sickness Captured The Colonial Imagination To Such An Extent That It Continued To Dominate Medical Attention For Many Years. As A Consequence, Other Glaring Public Health Needs Of The Congolese Were Ignored Over Decades. 1. Disease And Medicine In The History Of Africa -- 2. From Private Empire To Public Colony. Traders. The Mahdiya. Congo Free State Forces And Colonial Conquest. Leopold's Empire. Prelude To Conquest. Belgian Conquest Of Northern Congo -- 3. Mise En Valeur: Economic Exploitation. Kilo-moto Goldmines. The Labourers. Cotton. Tax. Rubber Tax And Sleeping Sickness -- 4. Epidemiology And Ecology Of Human Sleeping Sickness. Public Health Measures. Circumstantial Epidemiology. Liverpool Epidemiological Map. Population Movements. The Disease: Aetiology, Epidemiology, Immunology. The Disease Environment. Reservoirs Of Trypanosomiasis. The Ecological Approach. Epidemic As 'social Event'. The Ecological Crisis. Geography And Climate. The Insect And The Disease: Tsetse And Trypanosome. 5. 'the Lure Of The Exotic': Sleeping Sickness, Tropical Medicine And Imperialism. Early Accounts. Tropical Medicine In The Making. Sleeping Sickness. Politics And Commerce In Tropical Medicine. The Uganda Epidemic, 1899-1905. Sleeping Sickness And Propaganda -- 6. Discovery: Liverpool Scientists In The Congo. The Scientists. Method And Routine. Researchers' Perceptions Of Africans. African Perceptions Of The Scientists. Liverpool Conclusions And Advice. Epidemiology Of Sleeping Sickness In The Congo. Liverpool Advice. Legacy Of The Liverpool Expedition -- 7. The Campaign. Part One: Sleeping Sickness And Social Medicine. The Strategy. Proliferation Of Health Services. First Phase, 1903-1909: Cordon Sanitaire And Isolation. Ibembo Lazaret. Other Lazarets. Lazarets In Trouble. Second Phase: 1910-1914. Sleeping Sickness And Administrative Control. 1910 Reforms: Missionaries And Sleeping Sickness. The Uele Survey And The Gwane Epidemic. Agglomeration And Consolidation Of Africans. Summary -- 8. The Campaign. Part Two: The Surveys And Tensions. Third Phase: World War I. Fourth Phase: Missions Maladie Du Sommeil. Gwane Territory In 1931. Settlement Pattern. Tensions. Medical Service And Sleeping Sickness Missions. Metropolitan Versus Colonial View. Summary -- 9. The African Response. Pt. 1. Sleeping Sickness And African Societies. 'building Blocks' And Social Engineering. African Views Of Disease And Medicine. The Azande. The Babua. The Mangbetu. Summary. Pt. 2. Reactions To The Disease. The 'cure'. The Physical Examinations. Invasive Techniques: L'aiguille, The Needle And The Knife. Isolation And Quarantine. African Cooperation. African Responses To European Medications -- 10. Public Health, Social Engineering And African Lives. Sleeping Sickness And Travel -- Passports. Tax Demands, Rubber And Public Health Regulations. Rivers: Bridges, Canoes, Fishing And Salt. Regrouping And Resiting Population. African Authorities And The Sleeping Sickness Campaign -- 11. Conclusion And Legacy. Belgian Pride In Medical Services -- Best In Africa. Sleeping Sickness And 'vertical' Health Programme. Public Health And Imperialism -- Domination? The State And Epidemics. Epidemics And Social Relations. The Legacy Of The Public Health Programme And Medical Services. Postscript: Aids. Appendix A: Health Legislation And Instructions, 1888-1934 -- Appendix B: Sample Documentation. Maryinez Lyons. Includes Index. Revision Of The Author's Thesis. Includes Bibliographical References.

The Belgians commonly referred to their colonisation of the Congo as a 'civilising mission', and many regarded the introduction of western bio-medicine as a central feature of their 'gift' to Africans. By 1930, however, it was clear that some features of their 'civilising mission' were in fact closely connected to the poor health of many of the Congolese. The Europeans had indeed brought scientific enquiry and western bio-medicine; but they had also introduced a harsh, repressive political system which, coupled with a ruthlessly exploitative economic system, led to the introduction of new diseases while already-existing diseases were exacerbated and spread. Tropical, or 'colonial', medicine was a new field at the turn of the century, linked closely both to European expansionism and human trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness. In 1901 a devastating epidemic had erupted in Uganda, killing well over 250,000 people.

Frontmatter List of maps (page ix) List of plates (page x) List of tables (page xi) Preface (page xiii) List of abbreviations (page xv) 1 Disease and medicine in the history of Africa (page 1) 2 From private empire to public colony (page 8) 3 Mise en valeur: economic exploitation (page 25) 4 Epidemiology and ecology of human sleeping sickness (page 37) 5 'The Lure of the Exotic': sleeping sickness, tropical medicine and imperialism (page 64) 6 Discovery: Liverpool scientists in the Congo (page 76) 7 The campaign. Part one: sleeping sickness and social medicine (page 102) 8 The campaign. Part two: the surveys and tensions (page 137) 9 The African response (page 162) 10 Public health, social engineering and African lives (page 199) 11 Conclusion and legacy (page 223) Appendices (page 234) Notes (page 248) Select bibliography (page 296) Index (page 329) The Belgians commonly referred to their colonization of the Congo as a civilizing mission, but in fact the colonial system brought with it new diseases to the Congo. This book looks at the example of sleeping sickness The historian can approach the subjects of disease and medicine in a number of ways.