Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-10-16
CHRONIC MALARIA
AND ITS CAUSES
MalaraI Parasites Often Remain in
the Body When Patient Is
Apparently Cured.

have had all the symptoms OF malaria
one or more times, and when the symp-
toms are eliminated they think them
selves cured. They attribute the re-
curing attacks to a fresh infection,
whereas the cause is really within
themselves.
This is known as chronic malaria,
in which the patient retains within his
body dormant elements of the dis
ease; when these become active, as
they may do at any time, all the symp-
toms of the disease again appear, and
the patient has an acute attack.
The causes of, and the methods Of
treating, chronic malaria are now we'll
understood. The discovery of the ma
larial parasite has resulted in the
clearing up of practically everything
that was formerly obscure in connec-
ton with malaria. Not only did this
discovery bring knowledge of the
means of transmission of the disease,
but further investigation has clearly
shown how chronic malaria is produc-
ed and why it is that quinine fails to
relieve it.
few days after a man becomes
inoculated with malaria, through the
bite OF an infected anopheles mosquito,
two varieties of parasites are found in
the blood. One of these is the ordi..
nary chill-producing parasite, which is
efectually killed by quinine; the 9th.
er is the sexual form of the parasite
ana Is IN no way affected by that drug.
May Garry Them for Years.
These sexual forms of the parasitic
male and female, circulate in the blood
for months and, possibly, years, simply
waiting for the anopheles MOSQUITO to
suck them out; then, within the BODY
OF the mosquito, the union is formed
between the male and female para
sites, and the production of the many
young chill-causing malarial parasites
follows; then these young parasites
are injected into the blood of a man,
when the mosquito bites, and an acute
attack of malaria follows.
The anopheles mosquito which is
the sole conveyor of the malarial par
asite, has been described in a former
article. Resting with its body almost
at right angles to the surface to which
1t attaches itself, 1t is easily distin.
guishable from the common form of
mosquito, whose bent body, in rest, is
almost parallel to the surface on
which it alights. When it bites it
injects the chill-producing parasite
into the blood. Each of these para
sites attacks a red blood corpuscle
and soon divides into from seven to
twenty-five chill-producing parasites,
and each of these, in turn, attacks an.
other red,blood cell. This process goes
on until, within a comparatively short
time, sufficient number of parasites
has been produced to cause the symp-
toms of malaria.
How 1t Becomes Chronic.
After person has had malaria for
short while, there are millions of
these sexual parasites in the blood
The chlll-producing parasites may have
all been killed by quinine, and the
patient may feel restored in health.
But it has been shown that occasional
ly female sexual parasite remaining
In the blood, will for some inexplica-
Bile reason, suddenly breed or give off
the chill-producing parasites, and these
latter then begin to multiply rapidly.
In week or so they will cause the
malarial chills just as though the pa
tient had been inoculated by a mos
quito.
The foregoing explains the we'll
known fact that patients with chronic
malaria have from time to time. re-
currences of the disease after having
been apparently cured by quinine. 1t
also shows how and why a patient ap-
parently cured, yet harboring the sex
ual forms of the parasite, is just as
dangerous in causing the spread of the
disease as is one suffering from an
acute attack.
Cure of Chronic Malaria.
1t follows from the foregoing, saws
the Georgia State Board of Health.
that the first step necessary is to kill
nine. and then begin the administra
tiG2 of arsenic in as large doses as
possible, for it has been found that
this drug kills the sexual form of the
parasite, though it is usually neces-
sary to administer, it for several
months before the object is attained
While giving the arsenic the patient
should have full dose of quinine ev-
cry few days as otherwise some Of
the female sexual forms might sporu-
late and give rise to some of the chill
producing forms which are not affect
ed to any extent by arsenic.
Arsenic, as is well known, is a poi
sonous drug; and it is likewise dan
gerous for persons unfamiliar with
quinine to administer that drug. It
is essential, therefore, that in the
proper treatment of malaria, a COM
petent physician be Salled, and that
the patient follow explicitly his direc-
tons until he is pronounced cured.
The State Board of Health is pre-.
pared to make examinations of blood
for malarial parasites free of cost.
and will gladly make such tests and
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