BALFOUR, Andrew [Author] (1873-1931); WINGATE, Sir Francis Reginald [Ex-Libris] (1861-1953). Second Report Of The Wellcome Research Laboratories At The Gordon Memorial College Khartoum. Khartoum: Department of Education, Sudan Government 1906. 1st Edition. 4to (280x205mm), 255pp. Original brown polished calf binding with embossed outline of Africa on the front board and gold gilt lettering on the front board and spine. Gold gilt page edges. Extensive photographs, illustrations, tables and charts throughout the text - there are 106 figures and 21 plates. This copy is in good condition, the book feels solid and sound, this has clearly been well made. The calf is somewhat mottled and has scratches and scrapes as are commonly seen on the kind of binding. However, all blemishes are purely cosmetic. There are some instabilities to a couple of pages at the front of the book, the page containing a map of Africa opposite the title page is partly detached and so much be handed with some care. However, beyond this page there are no other structural issues. The textblock is square and solid and internally the book is clean with very little foxing at all which is remarkable for a book of this age. On the front free endpage you can see where a paperclip was placed and there is some rust here. There is an ex-libris sticker on the front pastedown and a signature from the owner, Sir Francis Reginald Wingate. It also contains ephemera (held in place by the aforementioned paperclip) of two small pages, one stating the goals of the Wellcome Research Laboratories, the other “With The Director’s Compliments”

The Wellcome Research Laboratories at the Gordon Memorial College, Khartoum, were founded in February 1903, primarily with the intention of studying tropical diseases and to render assistance to the officers of health, and to the clinics of the civil and military hospitals in Sudan. The centre was independent from the medical institutes in Sudan at the time, and run by legendary Scottish Scientist and Rugby Player, Andrew Balfour. He specialised in Tropical Medicine and spent 12 years in Khartoum running the research labs as well as acting as Medical Officer for the city. During his time in Khartoum, he reduced deaths by malaria by 90 per cent through the removal of mosquito breeding grounds and improving the city's clean water systems and sanitation. In 1923 Balfour was appointed Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. As well as his extraordinary medical career, Balfour was a talented sportsman - educated in Edinburgh at George Watson’s college, he played for the college and also for Cambridge while at University. Aged just 22, Balfour was given his Scotland cap in the 1896 home championship game against Wales which Scotland lost. He played in the remaining tournament games as well, including a famous Calcutta Cup victory over England, which made it 4 wins in a row.

This copy was owned by Sir Francis Reginald Wingate a.k.a “Wingate of the Sudan”. He was a British Army officer and imperial administrator in Egypt and Sudan. Born in Glasgow, Francis was a career soldier who was highly decorated following his career in Africa. In 1899 Sir Reginald Wingate was Governor-General of Sudan, a position he maintained until 1916, meaning he was in this role when this book was sent to him “with the Director’s  compliments” in 1906.