Some practical observations on so-called malaria being a water-borne disease / by W.H. Daly.

  • Daly, W. H. (William Hudson), 1842-1901.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some practical observations on so-called malaria being a water-borne disease / by W.H. Daly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the human body. In regard to the real value of Laveran’s corpuscles in the production of malaria, he himself believes them to be indirectly concerned in the production of the infec- tion, although their relation to it has not been absolutely demonstrated. It is probably in accordance with Rougette1 that the malarial microbe gives rise to symptomatic fever, by reason of its activity in producing leucomaines. During the access of fever the microbe is eliminated by the natural emunctories. The liver is a destroyer of leucomaines ;2 but as my paper is upon the question of the manner in which the so-called malarial infection enters the human body, whether through the air- passages or the digestive tract by means of drinking-water, I,, therefore, must not wander into other phases of the subject. I am firmly convinced that further investigation will as surely lead us to the knowledge that so-called malaria is, strictly speaking, a water-borne disease, as it is that we are now being led to the right conclusion by Ernest Hart and others that cholera is also a water-borne disease, and it is our duty to educate the profession and the public, especially those who make up the population of the malarial districts, that it is the water they drink, and not the air they breathe, that decides whether they will suffer from malai'ia or not. It is a great pleasure to have come into contact with many of the intelligent medical men who practise in the southern and malarial districts of our country, who are far in advance of the vague and obsolete views of many of our writers of text-books. If there were as many such men in our profession as there ought to be, the use of quinine as an antiperiodic would soon become unnecessary. In fact, I regard the malarial type of fever in the United states at least as clearly preventable as any other disease that we have to deal with, and by the simple method of drinking on y caiefully collected and uncontaminated rain-water, which, tor a simple precaution, might be boiled. I have observed on some of the plantations of the South that among certain cattle and horses that have been shipped from ' L’Union Mfidlcal. „ . , rr , - Annual Universal Medical Sciences, 1888.