Tsetse: a secret of life

Description: This film is about the history of the tsetse fly or “nagana” and the resulting battle against the mysterious cattle killer. A young Australian doctor, David Bruce, discovered the secret of how the tsetse caused death in cattle. Notable among the pioneers was Charles Swinerton - the results of his research leading the British Government in 1925 to grant a quarter million pounds to develop a chemical to attack the tsetse. A re-enactment shows the discovery by British scientists of antrycide, an insecticide which has its real value in its ability to protect the cattle from becoming infected. The film shows the insecticide being sprayed from the air in Kenya and emphasises the willing cooperation between the African herdsmen and the British scientists.