The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-16
rHE SouKcE or MaLdRIt.
An Invest CATION rhnt shows IL Is oftensr
IN the Water Than the Air.

fr The Matcr Than the Atr.
The Investigation on abe source OF ma
laria has had the writer's attention Tor
over two years. and In that time a large
amount OF clinical testimony has been
collected from all known malarial dis
tricrs IN North America. the final report
however. will hardly be ready for pub
LEGATION Tor some months. but from the
work already completed certain facts have
been obtained which will Doe embodied ia
this short notice
The Introduction OF artcsian wells FIRST
by the railroad companies who desire
larger supply of water than had hitherto
been available and the accidental use OF
tnat water by the people In the immo-
date vicinity, soon produced
marked dimiuuti0n Of malarial trouble
iu those localities. The artosian supplies
were. on -hc whole. so satisfactory 90 the
railroads that their introduction became
Very rapid. and in a Few years most of
tho South Atlantic lines depended upon
this source of water supply The eNi-
deuco that i'm the exclusive use OF tho
dcep-scatcd waters tire was entire inn
munity from Talarial trouble was appa-
ronfly $50 4 contcstlhlc chat determined
upon a critical examination of an waters
knoWs 10 produce malarial and those
that I'm malarial districts were proof
against &C.: this examination is not only
3 chemical. hut biological and pathological
I'm the present state OF our knowledge
W. DO not expect 20 be- able 10 draw
sharp lire between waters that produce
malaria and those proof against 10 by
purely chemical analysis nor. on tho
other hand. can We hope 10 identify by
biological examination The prot0zoa pro-
ducing that trouble. but We may hy tho
former succeed in isoiatins certain toxic
..s.fr.
and by Che later certain line of testl-
mony that. in conjunction with the chem
ical Investigation. viii yield very valuable
results. The work thus fer has proved
satisfactory beyond expectation nnf.
from the work already done and the char
meter and amount ~ evidence before me-.
I am justified in stating that the long
current belief that the source of malaria
Is i'm the air D. iu error
The germ. which i7 n soil origin. is
strictly protocol. and reaches is high
est development in low. moist ground,
with a favorable tompera ture surround
eI by the proper soil conditions. this pro-
tozoa passes from one stage 'of life into
another with considerable fapldty. so that
I'm the present state Of our experimental
knowledge 10 is impossible 10 identify it,
nor 10 is probable that by culture shall We
he able 10 produce the acctepted Lavoran
germ outside OF Tie human system
As rule. the potable water from the
malarial districts is derived from driven
wells not over twenty-five feet deep. ian
soil with clay or some other imperyious
sub fra'I which water rs generally cool
and palatabie. often sparkling clear but
more frequently a. lite turbid. This
water is filled with am incalbulable num-
ber Of these germs in an stages OF de-
Vel ,p'itl III used as a potable water
they naturally find their way into the
system through the alimentarv channel
This protocol passes through 40 many
forms or stages Of life that i'm some stages
10 Is light enough TO float and be trans
ported hy the moist air OF low grounds.
but i'm this state 10 is comparatively harm
less except under most extraordinary con-
ditions. 10 is not un,il the surface water
Is used that the mischief begins. when
by reason OF higher development. it has
boone much moro yirulent than that
floating I'm the air very short period
OF incubation IS sufficient 70 develop