The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-11
a BREEDER OF MALARIA.
The Mosquito L. an Efficient Agent
in Disseminating Disease.

From the Chicago News.
View York. Nay Mosquitoes and ma
laria are the two hanes Of existence for the
suburban dweller in a marshy region.
Some have consoled themselves with The
thought that possibly one might be an
auudote 90 the other-ihat the mosquito
might be n deadly foe 30 malaria. and
hence has been placed by providence
where he VIII do the most good. But the
latest researches, almost startling
ly sensational in their results.
Indicate that the insect and
the germ are partners and work
together for the injury OF mankind. To
De sure. The mosquito profits little from
his evil association. often succumbing,
as it would seem. to the very disease that
Die aids In spreading; but thar IS small
consolation. There is another, however
that has a more solid basis. We know
now that We have but one foe 90 fight.
In eNterminating the mosquito we are
going far toward the annihnadon of the
malaria parasite also.
The finding OF an this Is a triumph Of
minute and palnstaking investigation. In
the first place. ID is now certain that ma
laria Ike SO many other human ills, Is
a germ disease It's insldi0us character
germ is the interior OF the red-biood cor
puscle. The germ itself i'm the course OF
ITS development. goes through SO many
changes that us identification was ar
hcult task and was hardly certain until
recently. one especially curious fact ap-
peared-thc parasite seemed incapable OF
going through all It's changes i'm the hui
man body. To complete the cycle and be
come capable of reproduction it must so
abroad again. How does DO get out2
II has been known for some time that
the malaria parasite is found In the stom-
ach of the mosQulj TO- This Is natural, Of
course, Tor the mosquito could hardly
larlal patient ON whom he might he feed
ing. But IT'S presence there suggested the
idea that the mosquito and other blood
sucking Insects might De the means or
auording the germ It's needed escape from
thc body OF one victim and ITS Oppor-
uuity for entrance into that of another.
OF course the mosquito could not intro
duce 10 directly. but he could contami-
nate drinking water or food with It,, and
SO indirectly bring about the same re-
This is all very fine as a theory, but It
had no support The presence OF the par
asite in the mosquitoes stomach proved
Of 10 there. N II curled up and died we
might conclude that after an the mos
quito was It's enemy, and so far AS his
| EFFORTS I'm this direction We're concerned
| should be encouraged, but If II thrived
and developed, then plainly the two We're
partners I'm crime.
The solution of this problem has just
| been worked out I'm India by Surgeon
| Donald Ross of the British army. acting
on the suggestions of Dir. Patrick Man
son ofoLondon. And this is how 10 was
done; After looking around among his
| hospital patients at Secunderanad. where
he was stationed. the eXperimenter Sc
lected native, one Abdul Nadir. whose
blood ahOuuded In the malaria parasite
who, I'm fact, was q sufferer from the Sc
we're form of the disease known as mala-
rial cachexia. This man agreed to be-
| come. for one night a martyr To science
and he was accordingly confined under a
mosquito net I'M company with a number
! of able-bodied mosquitoes who lost nc
! time In filling themselves with the pa
/ TENTS blood. malaria and all DR. Ross
! then captured the insects and entered
! upon long and careful examination OF
| the contents Of their stomachs by means
| Of the microscope. The result was thai
| he saw nearly all the parasites, far from
/ being killed by their change Of locality
! began at once 10 go through the series
| Of transformations that was to III then
/ for entrance into the body OF another
! human victim. The same results were
| obtained from three other patients.
To illustrate the manner in which ths
| disease is communicated DR.. Ross Sc
| lected another scientific martyr-this time
| a perfectly healthy native-and admins
| tered to him water In which a couple OF
| malarialized mosquitoes had died after
| dcpositing their eggs. In tust eleven days
(the regular incubation period Of malaria
| the man came down with malarial fever
That the MOSQUITOES stomach is an eX
| tarium-for the parasite, was shown By
| the following facts one OF Ross patients
| showed signs Of a serious attack of ma
! laria just as he was about to be fed tC
! the mosquitoes and was given a stiff dose
| Of quinine. AS always happens, this par
| alyzed many of the parasites, but as soor
| as they got into the mosquitoes stomachi
| they became lively again, showing tina
/ even the effects Of quinine-malaria
| worst enemy-can be overdone by such
| change of environment
! Altogether, DR.. Manson and DR.. Ross
| make out pretty good case Of conspiracy
/ against the malaria parasite and the mos
| quito. Dr. Manson forbears from dogma
! tlsm, however, and acknowledges tina
! there may be a mistake. There is grea
/ need Of some one who can follow the par
/ asite through all its life in the insect
| a difficult, perhaps an impossible task
/ but in the meantime, II anyone is Offered
/ a draught of water In which MATERIALLY In
1 clined mosquitoes have been recently
! drowned, 1t may be as well to decline +
/ with thanks.
/ ----