Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-07
MICROBES OF MALARIA
What Science Has Found Out Lately il
Regard to Them.
Examining Samples of Blood for thu
Grrms-The Latter Are Animal
and Not Vegetable.

Science has engaged in warfare against
disease and has already won some great
victories. the latest of which is over diph-
liberia Malaria-a malady long considered
so mysterious as to be well-niSh beyond
the reach of investigation-has not escaped
attack and physicians now make diagnoses
of this complaint by examining samples of
blood taken from the patients. In such
cases the germs of the disorder are dis
covered by means of a microscope. 1t has
been ascertained that they are very minute
animal parasites which feed upon the red
corprscIes.
The prick of needle suffices to draw
from the finger a drop of blood, which is
spread upon piece of glass. Heat is used
to fix the blood upon the glass with some
sort of permanence. and then certain stains
are applied to it. These stains. which are
aniline dyes. color the malaria germs blue
and the protopIasm of the bIood-cells red
Being thus brought out in sharp contrast
the germs may be discerned under the mi
croscope. though they are very small and
difficult To find 50 that magnifying power
Of I GOD diS meters is required.
The germs belong 10 the lowest form OF
animal life. being PROTOCOL They feed
upon the red corpuscles of the blood, which
are thus destroyed. AT the beginning they
are merely bits of pTotoplasmic jelly, with
out any particular shape. but later on they
develop long hair-like oars to paddle about
with. Then they become free swimmers
and make their way through the veins and
arteries. following the tide of the circula-
ton. They multiply by splitting up, the
young ones attacking the red corpuScles,
and so the round of their life history goes
on.
These facts have been ascertained only
very recently. Inasmuch as millions of
people in this country suffer more or less
from malaria. they possess more than or
In
tire destruction of the red corpuscles by the
parasites should cause sickness after a
while. ChillS and fever are the most Ia
milar symptoms. but in advanced cases the
blood ia found to contain numerous par
ticIes of black or brown pigment. Ere
cuentIy death enSlIes, and the liver and
spleen are seen to have become much en-
Iarged and 10 he of a peculiar brownish or
blaCkiSh color.
Here is. in fact. very dangerous and
destructive disease. Were 1t not for uuf-
nine il would cause a great mortality. But
that precious alkalod is a deadly poison
to all kinds of protozoa, and the malaria
germs in the blood quickly succumh to it,
A few doses of the medicine would kill all
OF them that might happen to be in the
body. save for one fact: in its earliest
stage the parasite Is enveloped in MEN,
brane. which protects it from the quinine
Thus it is necessary to keep on with the
dosing for some time, in order that no
young ones may he left to develop and con-
tnue the mischief.
Il
germs were absorbed from the air. but it is
now known that they are taken into the
body in drinking water. There is no GER
tainty. however, that they may not obtain
an entrance to the system through the
breathing organs also. Ffrst-rate evidence
as to infection by water was furnished n
few years ago by the case of some French
troops in Algeria Three shiploads of sol
diers left the country together. and one of
the vessels was furnished with water In
casks from a swampy pond. The other two
ships got their water from river. During
the voyage malaria in malignant form
attacked the men on board of the vessel
that had the swamp water and many of
them died. The other two ships did not
suffer at all. Yet. all of the soldiers had
lived for a long time IN the immediate vi
entity of the swamp aforesaid.
Man is not the only animal that suffers
from malaria The parasites found IN
the blood of pigeons and crows. and even
In that of turtles ana frogs. symptoms CT
malarlal fever have been artiicially pro-