The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-24

NO OTHER WAY TO GET RID OF THE
DREAD MALARIAL FEVER
Scientists Say the Little Pests should
BE killed-kerosene an Ef-
fective Agent.
!. E. curtis. in chicago RECORD.

c. w. Stiles. Of the Department of Agricul-
ture. read paper advancing the theory
that mosquitoes were entirely responsible
for the disease we call malaria. and that
without mosquitoes there would be no such
disease.
From a medical. biological and eco
nomic standpoint malaria is one of the
most important diseases of man." said DR..
Stiles this morning. THE number OF
deaths annually from this disease through
out the world must be reckoned in hum
dreds of thousands. Italy alone averaging
about 1900 a year. while the number OF
sufferers must be counted by millions. Its
economic Importance may be appreciated
when we take into account not only the
deaths but the time lost by those who are
affected. From a military standpoint ii il
also important, since in some localities 20
or so per cent. of the troops suffer with
malaria every year.
The cause of the disease was discovered
in Africa by DR.. Laveran. a French sur
geon, twenty years ago. He is at present
engaged at the Pasteur Institute. Paris.
He discovered in the blood microscopic
organism which he first thought was a
plant belonging to the genus oscillaria. but
which has since been recognized as animal
and placed In the genus plasmodium. Three
distinct species known-one which
takes only forty-eight hours 10 complete
its cycle in man. That is the cause Of the
ordinary tertian fever. where the patient
has chill on alternate days. The second
form takes seventy-two hours TO complete
its development, and is the cause of the
quartan fever The third form is the cause
of the so-called irregular estivo autumnal
fever.
although the parasite was discovered
twenty years ago. il is only within two
years that its life history has been worked
out. This is exceedingly complicated and
has a direct bearing upon the origin OF
malarial infection. 1t contradicts many
popular ideas regarding malarial diseases.
and IL will take some time to convince the
public that the conclusions are correct
However, there is absolutely no ground
for skepticism. The parasite runs through
a double cycle and thus appears 10 us IN
two distinct forms. One cycle Is present
in the blood of the human being. and Is the
cause of disease. This microscopic organ
ism is known as an asexual animal; that is
ulales and females cannot be distinguished.
The other cycle is found In certain mos
uuitoes of the genus anopheles- In this
stage the animal is sexual. and males and
females can be clearly distinguished The
parasite takes position. in the wall OF the
mosquitoes stomach and there forms minute
germs known sporozorftes, which gradn-
ally work into the glands Of the insect. Then
whenever a mosquito bites a person she
leaves a few germs under the skin. only
female mosquitoes attack human Delnsss
the male mosquitoes feeding upon vegeta-
bic matter These germs running through
the asexuai stage in the human being, re-
produce so rapidly that the ordinary para
site of tertian fever gives life TO about &c.,
600 100000 within twenty days time. III We
a diseases. mos
quitoes must first be exterminated, Tor IL Is
impossible for the parasite OF malaria 10
complete its work without the aid Oh the
mosquito.
.'While there is a popular impression
that mosquitoes have something TO do with
malaria, people generally believe that ma
laria is caught either from breathing
swamp air or drinking impure water. Ii
must therefore, be expected that the re-
suits of recent scientific investigation VIII
be doubted. Biologically, however, there
is only one exception to the law that ma
laria is transmitted by mosquitoes. III a
person in certain stage OF malaria snouid
happen to be attacked by biting fly or
some other insect. and that insect should
infect a healthy person with malarlal
germs, IL might develop a case OF malaria
Such an occurrence, however, would be ex-
ceptional can.
ito assert that the existence of malariai
disease is absolutely dependent upon mos
quitoes. but the sooner the fact Is realized
eases. Man is not the only animal that
has malaria. but no ether has the same
malaria found in man A large percentage
of sparrows, swallows and pigeons nave
disease which corresponds TO malaria, but
il is not transmissible to man
81 have heard IL suggested that in some
regions where mosquitoes are plenty ma
laria is unknown. and that malaria exists
where there are no mosquitoes, put IN
plenty of places where man exists yellow
fever is unknown. Other conditions must US.
presence of man. We must have man
present for the disease to develop: second
ly, we must have mosquitoes OF the genus
anopheles TO transmit the disease, ana,
thirdly the germs which cause the disease
You can have mosquitoes and man i'm
given locality. but II the germs are not
present the disease will not exist"
Can you prove that malaria Is not
transmitted by the air or by drinking
water" DIR. Stiles was asked.
This involves the demonstration OF the
negative" he replied. 1T is impossible to
demonstrate that the germs of malaria do
not exist in the air. On the other hand' II
Is biologicaly impossible TO conceive OF
their existence in the air. The burden or
proof rests upon those who claim That ma
iaria can be transmitted by breathing the
air without the Intervention OF the mos
quito The idea that malaria Is transmitted
By the air or drinking water Is purely a
theory without proof back OF It, IL should
be recalled that mosquitoes fly at night.
Hence it is natural for people to INFER tnat
MOSQUITOES are common near swanps:
hence the idea is prevalent the air OF the
swamps causes the disease"
Dr. L. o. Howard, the entomologist or
the Department of Agriculture. who Is an
other mosquito sharp" tells of certain
districts where malaria has been practically
stamped out by killing off the mosquitoes.
He is of the opinion that boards of health
and municipal authorities will be forced TO
take ND the question Of the determination
of the mosquito in systematic manner
and thus rid their neighborhood of the
cause of this disease. While aware that
many physicians are still skeptical regard
ing the transmission of malaria by mosque
toes ne urges a sanitary campaign against
the malaria mosquito, which can be rccog-
nized by those seeking 20 exterminate him.
He can be detected in the dark well az
during the day His note in singing Is about
four tones lower than the ordinary mos
quito fact that corresponds with the
usual distribution Of parts in operas. where
the villain always has the bass.
DR. Howard says the best method of ex-
terminating mosquitoes Is by pouring kero-
sene on the stagnant water where they
breed. This kills the larvae in the water
and the adult female when she comes TO
lay her eggs In cases where Il h impracti-
cal TO use petroleum. small minnows placed
i'm the water will rapidly devour the mos
quito larvae.