The diary documents a conference held with Senior Cabrera of Mexico to discuss cooperation with Rockefeller Foundation to help control Typhus Fever in Mexico.
Organized according to interview and visit, Gregg discusses projects and proposals with professionals in the field of medical education. He is involved in the progress of the RF programs, selection of RF fellows, development of new projects and financing current and future research. This diary includes an five year outline of an RF program to create a medical facility and train professionals in Bangkok, a general outline of the hookworm campaign in Mexico. Gregg also tours various medical schools, hospitals and laboratories the United States with the Japanese Commission. A trip to Columbia is taken to survey medical education, facilities and practice in Latin America and to ready for the yellow fever campaign in that region.
The 1936 diary includes Mary Tennant's surveys of public health education, facilities and general impressions of state and local nursing in East Asia and South America.
The diary is arranged according to interview and visit and documents Mary Tennant's talks with professionals in the field of public health. The focus of the International Health Division in which Mary Tennant is a staff member is disease prevention and investigation of diseases important to public health. The diary details the Rockefeller Foundation nursing program in Brazil and fellowships. The diary includes, "Report of Poliomyelitis Epidemic, 1944 Quito, Ecuador."
As the head of the "Oficina de Especializacion Sanitaria" in Mexico City, Dr. Downs reports daily on the nature of his administrative duties and the development of his scientific investigations. Weekly fieldtrips to Mexican institutes, hospitals, and health centers yield entries on the progress and state of anti-malaria programs across the country. In regards to his scientific work, Dr. Downs includes the results of research conducted on the retention of DDT residual spraying on adobe surfaces; the progress of research associated with the colonies of mosquitoes maintained at the three collecting stations in Xochimilco (maps and schematics of the collecting stations are included); and the process used to identify breeding grounds. Clinical work also continues as Dr. Downs examines schoolchildren for malaria infection records. Final figures of spleen rates are found both within the entries and in a weekly log. Updates on the progress of regional and country-to country DDT spraying are documented as well.
Dr. Downs returns to Port of Spain—after his military tour during World War II—and reports upon the evolution of the anti-malaria programs in both Trinidad and Tobago since his departure. He discusses the slide diagnostic service, bromeliad spraying, and DDT-residual house spraying implemented by the new malaria offices, and makes visits to scientists and staff employed by malaria control programs. After a brief trip to Bogota, Colombia, Dr. Downs leaves Port of Spain and reports to Mexico City in order to assume his new position as head of the Mexican malaria control program: which is already dually funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Mexican Government. Entries record the various public health departments, institutes, hospitals, and laboratories that he visits, as well as all staff —both government and privately employed—with whom he consults on matters regarding malaria and other endemic diseases. Scientific progress and data tables of the malaria control programs are embedded within the text and include frequent updates on the spleen rates of school children surveyed for infection by the malaria parasite.
The diary is arranged by interview and visit. George K. Strode is a director of the International Health Division (IHD). The IHD continues its program interests in malaria, respiratory diseases, typhus fever and yellow fever. The Division's subordinate interests include mental hygiene, syphilis, nutrition and tuberculosis. The IHD also promotes public health education with fellowships and travel grants. Strode received program updates from staff members and interviews professionals in the field of public health. The diary details a survey of a Mexican health center.
Organized according to interview and visit, Hackett discusses projects and proposals with professionals in the field of public health. He is involved in the progress of the RF programs, development of new projects and financing current and future research. Hackett assess various tropical diseases in South America and the local response to these outbreaks. He surveys and tours various health facilities, laboratories and medical schools. Hackett continues to assist in the creation of local South American public health infrastructure. The diary details the IHD projects in Mexico such as the Vera Cruz studies. The DDT programs for South America are outlined. Communicable Disease Programs are documented. Updates from staff member diaries are included as well as photographs. Hackett attended the Meeting of the Directing Council of the Pan-American Sanitary Organization in Buenos Aires, Sept. 24-Oct. 2, 1947, and the 16th National Congress of Hygiene in Brazil.
In an effort to allow planning of more effective and economical malaria control, Dr. Downs devotes much of his time to the establishment of an insectary at Acatlipa, Mexico. There, he works in collaboration with Sr. Bordas—who writes three weeks of diary entries for this period—to ensure the maintenance and propagation of four mosquito species to be used in experimental analysis of DDT. Observations of the mosquitoes are recorded on a daily basis and experiments testing the retention of DDT residual spraying on adobe bricks are emphasized. The distribution of anti-malaria supplies continues as well. Children are examined in order to identify malarious towns and town topography is surveyed to identify mosquito breeding grounds. Based on such observations, Dr. Downs recommends either anti-larval supplies or DDT for malaria control. Dr. Downs frequently addresses public health economics and the cost of supplies as the RF initiative begins to hold local towns responsible for funding their own anti-malaria supplies.
Dr. Downs continues with office, field, and laboratory work associated with the Oficina de Especializacion Sanitaria in Mexico. He discusses the establishment of regional training centers, as well as the staff involved, and makes various field trips to programs beings developed to combat malaria and other infectious diseases. Entries describe the results of clinical surveys recording spleen rates among schoolchildren and discuss scientific progress related to laboratory work on malaria. The progress of DDT spraying and the DDT analysis program are described and recorded in detail.
