The Portland daily press., 1900-02-28
AND DISEASE.
How They Disseminate Malaria aud
How the Grimes Were Proved Against
Them.
(Brom the London yiues }

1t had long been known that any con-
tinued prevalence OF malarial fever was
attended by the occurrence OF extensive
changes, apparently OF degenerHtiVe
character, In the physical condition OF
the blood. aud these changes, when they
were made the subject OF Investigation
by the aid of modern microscopes. were
traced to the pr, nee of parasites as in
variable oouoomitants OF the disease.
Blood owes Its color to the presence OF in
pumerable minute bodies called Its red
corpusoles, bodiss so minute and so
Numerous that sipgle cubic miilimstre
of blood contains an average Of about I'VE
millions of them, and 1t was within these
oorpusclss tia. tho parasites were dis
covered. Malsrial fevsrs are characterized
by definite exaoerbations and intsrmis-
sions, and 1t soon became apparent that
these were ssverally ooincident, In point
OF time, with successive stages Of the life
history of the parasite, each attack of
fever denoiing the Matching of new
brood, aud presenting the successive
stages of shivering, OF heat, and Of sweat
ing, coincidentnily with their growth
and development, at the conclusion OF
which each oorpusole which had been in
vsded by them persisted, ard It's function
as carrier Of oxygen TO the tissues was
abolished. Unlike the row familiar
vegetable parasites collectively called
microbes, by which so many oth,l dis
eases sre accustomed, this parasites OF
malaria belongs to the animal Kingdom,
but, Ike the microbes, its hunters in
crease with amazing rapld,ty. Until
they reach to considerable amount, the
parasite would not be productive of seri-
GUS symptoms. but by the time that an
attack of fever Is fairly established, these
mum beers oitsn amount to something like
5. 600, 900, and thence would range upward
TO !, OS0, 600. 900. 1t had long besp known
that quinine was the most potent of all
remedies for ague, and its administration
at all sorts Of times and in all sorts Of
doses mad gradually led to the expert
mental determination OF the conditions
OF its greatest efficacy, but prior to the
discovery of the parasite, it was regarded
as being essentially "Anti-periodic" in Its
eifeots-that IL to Say. as exerting some
ysterious influence In preventing the
rhythmiCal recurrence of morbid phe-
pomena. The discovery of the parasite
led TO the further discovery that quinine
CURED ague simpy by poisoning the Para
site. and that IL was most effective for
this purpose when given In such diseases
ana in such a way IS to be present In the
blood In sufficient quantity during GER
tain period Of their growth. But 1t sci.
dom killed them all. and more usually
left a few individuals, perhaps more or
les, languishing, but still living and rs-
producing their kind, and capable OF Civ
ing riss to fresh attack OF fever, after
the lapse Of many months.
The next stage in the Investigation was
to ascertain through what channel the
malaria parasite became introduced into
the human body; and DIR. Patrick Man
son, who had previously traced another
form of infection to the mosquito. Was,
We believe, the first to suggest that this
insect was the most probable Delinquent.
The Investigations Of Major Ross. to
whose letter claiming priority We ware
glad to give assertion on Wednesday,
finally established the correctness of the
hypothesis. The particular mosquito
con earned 10 OF the species known to