Middletown transcript., 1899-09-16

ABAD VARIETY OF MOSQUITO
Major Ross. of the Liverpool Scboo
Of Tropical Medicine, reports from
Sierra Leon that he has discovered
"the Misunderstanding mosquito
What he means is that be has discover.
ed at least one of the species that com.
municates the severe and fatal fever oil
the tropics. The connection between
mosquitoes and ordinary malarial
fevers, or ''fever and ague," was sug-
gested some years ago by American
investigators, but the connection was
disputed by Italian physicians, who, Of
all Europeans, had the best opportuni-
ties Of observing the disease. They
showed that mosquitoes exist in many
districts where there are no fevers and
that ague-stricken areas are often sep
arated from nonfebrile districts by
narrow bounds over which the mos.
qdito can readily cross. But there are
mosquitoes and mosquitoes. While
residing in India Major Ross made dis
coveries some years ago which led to
the belief that some species of mos
quito communicate the so-ealled ma
larial, or ''had air." fevers, while other
species do not, and soon after Dr.
Grassi, in Italy, found three species of
fever producing mosquito whose bite
gave the disease to q man who kindly
offered himself for experiment. But
the material fevers Of Italy are mild
compared with the deadly disease of
the same name in West Africa, and it
is the cause Of the latter that Major
Ross is now supposed to have discover.
ed.
The old idea that ague is due to q
poison in the air derived from the soil
Of marshy areas is still entertained in
some quarters, but the view now taken
by investigators is that the disease 10
due to the presence In the blood of q
organism put there by the pro-
boscis Of the mosquito. This organism
has, it is supposed, many species, each
with certain period Of growth. A
person whose blood is infected with
but one species will have his fever, for
every Third day; II he has
another species, his fever will come
svery fourth day, and 80 on, the sue
:essiye generation of microbes deter
mining the interval between "tbe
shakes" If one Is SO unlucky as to
larbor several different species, the
symptoms will be confused and the
,ffects will be chronic. Quinine, it is
'ound, kills the microbes, and upon
ibis fact its virtue depends, But how
lnes the so.called malarial microbe get
nto the patients blood2 The old
ashioned theory was that it was taken
nt0 the system with the air one breath
ID. A later theory substituted water
or air as the vehicle, and pure wat
vas believed to give immunity. Now
Is held that the mosquito carries the
Iisease germs in his own body and i'm.
'lants them In the unfortunate whom
10 bites. Not all species Of mosquito
re afflicted with the parasites, but
My certain species. and each has Ito
wn variety of parasite, some being
7orse than others as respects their
feet on the human organism. |,
There is, it seems, such q thing as
eing proof against the "malariap'
olson. It is at its worst In West
lfrica and very bad In the Congo
ountry and Central Africa, yet even
,ihese countries the negroes seem to
8 immune. Either the mosquito does
OF bite them or their blood Ia proof
gainst the poison he conveys. Ie
europeans in West Africa, ii they do
ot perish suddenly, succumb after a
Nv years to the local conditions. On {
10 mosquito theory 3 complete remedy =
perhaps not to be had, since It is J J
npossible to exterminate ali the NOS '
litoes. Coal oil spread thinly on the :
,ols. where they breed drives them : )
sewhere and coal'tar oil on the face o
'erts their bites, but these expedients !
omise only partial relief. Even if :
ophylactic more agreeable than coal v
] is discovered, the malarial areas Of ,
Q tropics are toe extensive to be !, =
sated Observation-Disclosures Sun.