New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
MALARIA AND MOsouIToEs.

Additional light is thrown upon the relations
between malaria and mosquitoes by report
just issued by the Royal Society of London
under whose auspices Drs. S. r. Christopher
and yfI,W, w. Stephens visited the West Coast
Of Africa last year. The investigation at Accra
like similar ones that have been conducted
within the last two or three years, was under
taken largely for the purpose OF ascertaining
how best to render more habitable by white
men one of the unheathiest regions in the
world, and thus pave the way TO colonization
and industrial development. But the informa-
ton secured in this manner is also of value to
people who reside in temperate climates and in
civilized lands, but who are nevertheless the
victims Of the disease in question
The Gold Coast investigators declare that so
long as they kept themselves under mosquito
nets they were free from malaria, but sickness
promptly followed a neglect of this precaution
at night. They regarded the mosquitoes which
swarmed in the huts Of the natives with more
dread than those which haunted the swamps
An examination of the blood of the negroes re-
vealed the presence Of the malariaI parasite In
over 90 per cent of the people 1t was found
chiefly in children, however. Something like
so per cent of the infants examined were in
fected. The mosquitoes which lurked In the
dwellings of the natives would acquire the
fitted to transmit the infection to other human
subjects by the same operation. If a traveller
slept overnight in one of these huts he was
sure to be inoculated with malaria. Drs.
Christopher and Stephens warn all whites
whether living in towns or on q journey in
that region, to keep well away from the houses
Of the negroes.
1t is not to be inferred from the figures lust
given that over half the population of Accra
was down sick with malarial fever at one time
The natives OF that part of Africa suffer only
slightly from an attack and eventually become
immune. The presence Of the germs In their
blood therefore, does not always represent an
existing state Of fever, Nevertheless, such per
sons are able to transmit the disease TO others
through the medium Of the mosquito It is not
a sufficient guarantee of safety to a visitor to
find all the inmates of u hut apparently free
from sickness
The case against the mosquito up to date
is as follows: The blood of victims of maIarial
fevers invariably contains characteristic
microscopic organism. The disease is now
known TO be as distinctly microbic as typhoid
fever diphtheria or cholera. 1t Is not due to
breathing foul gases from rotting vegetation or
animal matter The idea implied In the name
malaria-bad airs fallacious So far ms is
known. the germ of malarial diseases Is not
air borne, like that Of the grip tuberculosis and
some other disorders. In the few years during
which the hunt has been pursued the organism
has been discovered elsewhere only I'm mos
quitoes, and in them it is found in a different
stage of development from that exhibited In
| man. Apparently a part Of the life cycle Of
this parasite is spent in one animal abode and
| part in another The bite of an infected mos
| quito has been known to cause malaral fever
| The particular insect involved in this unhappy
! business is the anopheles not the culex II
bites only at night. and, though 1t usually flies
nj low levels, ii has been found n thousand
| feet above the sea-
| while, however, one particular genus OF mos
| quito is thus shown 10 be actively concerned
In the dissemination of malarial infection, II ia
| not yet clearly established that II Is the only
agency thus employed Several reasons have
been offered for believing otherwise, but these
may be fully met in time. The investigation of
the subject Is far from complete. The result OF
| the experiment of Drs Sambon and Lowe in
the Roman Campagna. begun last June, for in
stance, VIII not be finished before October
| otheF researches are In progress elsewhere at
the present time, and years may elapse before
! the rull truth is known. But 1t may be affirmed