Lecture on Malaria.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 December 1915, Page 3

Lecture on Malaria.

At Dumbarton, in October, an interesting lecture was delivered by a lady doctor (Or Alltn;, to lilt local improvement society.

Dr Allen chose as her subject, "'Research* in Malaria." The story, she said, ol that research was i eally Ui-j ! story of the life of Sir Donald Uos.>. I He it was who had been the means ol discovering the cause ol the fever and also the moans already at the tisposai ol medicad men to combat this evil wliich has coiun buted more than any other cause to the lack of progress in Africa. The nil*cess oi the work might be gathered from the fact that this dread scourge had been greatly reduced even in West Africa, which country, because of nutlwas for so" long known as the Man's Grave." The lecture gave a summary of the organism which caused the fever, and passed! round some diagrams to demonstrate nor points. nib germs must be carried, and a curious dapple winged mosquito acted as the. agent. Its lava was deposited in natural pools 01. water, an 1 differed from other larva in having no breathing tube. That was why the' use of oil on the -surface of pools ?n affected areas had done so much good, for the larva were then killed. Th ! parasite acted on the salivary glandl ot the mosquito. Hence it transmitted the posion to- anyone it biles. In many malarial district's the natives were immune, but might- transmit the dis'.-ase to others. For that reason segregation of Hhe white inhabitants had-been largely carried out in those parts. It was only after much trouble and many failures, of which some idea was given, that Sir Donald Ross made his remarkable discoveries. Mr Inch thanked the lecturer at the close, and expressed the opinion of all when he said bow delighted the ladies had oeen with the lecture, and with the interesting way in which the subject had been „ presented.