The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-29
MOSQUITO. MALARIA EXPERIMENTS

The interest which Honolulu feels in
all experiments that connect mosqui-
toes with malaria, prompts the Adver-
tiser to copy the following article in
full from the latest number of the Lit
erary Digest:
The experiment that has been going
on in Italy during the past summer,
under the auspices of the British Colo
NAL Office, to test the truth of the mos
quito theory of malaria is now said to
have been completely successful, not
wihtstanding vague rumors of its fail
ure that have been current. 1t will be
remembered that DR.. Luigi Sambon
and DR.. G.. c. Low. both connected
with the London School of Tropical
Medicine, volunteered to live from June
till October, the height of the malaria
season, in "a part of the campagna
which is so infested by the disease that
no one who spends a night there under
ordinary conditions escapes the effect
of the poison. The following announce
ment is now made editorially in The
British Medical Journal:
DIR. Sambon, Dr. Low, Signor Terri and
their servants have now exposed them
selves to the pestllential influence Of this
valley of the shadow of death for over
two months. They live in mosquito
proof hut. They take no Quinine
or other drug which might be regarded
as prophylactic. Not one of the expert
menting party has shown the least sign of
infection. We are able to make this state
ment on the best authority. . We
may now. with as much confidence as the
uncertainty of human things warrants
look forward to a successful completion
OF this important experiment. Satisfac-
tory rs ouch consummation will be from
a scientific point of view, IL will also be
matter for qualification that the men who
have In the cause of humanity deliberate
ly exposed themselves to a most serious
risk have not had to suffer for the scien-
tific faith that Is in them.
The same journal goes on to tell Of
another similar experiment:
What for practical purposes may be re-
garded as an experiment Of the same kind
| Is being conducted in West Africa DR. FL =
liott. member of the Liverpool expedi-
ton sent to Nigeria some time ago to in =
vestigate the subject of malarial fever,
has recently returned to this country. He
reports that the members of the expedi-
ton have been perfectly well. although
they have spent four months in some OF
the most malarious spots They lived
practically amongst marshes and other
deadly. They have not kept the fever off
bv the use of quinine, and they attribute
their immunity to the careful use of mos
quito nets at night.
Our readers will recall the fact that
attempts were also to be made to pro.
duce malaria in healthy persons in
England by causing them to be bitter
by mosquitoes carrying the germ of the
disease. The British Medical Journa
says that this part of the experiment
has also been successful. We quot,
again:
Dr. Manson's son, who has neve
been In malarious country since h,
was child, is now suffering from well
marked malarial infection of doubl,
tertian type, and microscopical exam
ination shows the presence Of numer
Gus parasites in his blood. The gen
ulneness Of the experiment and the &C
curacy of the observations can b.
vouched for by several competent ant
independent witnesses.
Physicians will hardly, In this coun
try at least. regard these experiment,
as showing that the bite of the mos
quito Is the only means Of propagatin,
malariai Infection: but they certainl,
Says the writer of the editorial Jus
quoted:
THE malaria problem is not yet en-.
tirely solved, but these experiment.
certainly afford very strong confirma
ton Of the theory that makes mosqui