Volume 1

The prevention of malaria / by Ronald Ross ; with contributions by L.O. Howard [and others].

  • Ronald Ross
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The prevention of malaria / by Ronald Ross ; with contributions by L.O. Howard [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    69/770 page 45
    3] INACTION information was thus obtained, it was left for years untaught in the medical schools, or neglected in practice. But worse than this, little has been done even to encourage the private workers. Indeed I know of several cases where such workers have received for their pains nothing but the ridicule of less laborious colleagues, and the persecution of jealous superiors.1 There was no reason why the prevention of malaria accord¬ ing to the new methods should not have been commenced after 1899 in every civilised malarious country. Such countries possess responsible governments and expensive sanitary and medical services—in fact all the machinery required for the work. But the efforts actually made have been due almost entirely to isolated enthusiasts, while in many places nothing approaching a genuine campaign has even yet been attempted. In others, again, some efforts have been reported, but their perfunctory nature is only too apparent to those who are acquainted with the subject. Yet the work has been done, and well done, in many places. Why then has it not been done in all ? The facts are undeniable. In numerous localities the disease causes not only an immense amount of sickness, but a great loss of efficiency amongst officials, soldiers, workmen and the general public, and a corresponding waste of public money and reduction of prosperity. It can be combatted only by well- organised government action; and governments admit their responsibility in such matters. Yet governments have taken little part in the investigation of malaria, and have even neglected to utilise for practical purposes the investigations of others. Nor is the case of malaria the only one of the kind. Filiriasis is very prevalent in many localities, where it produces numerous unpleasant diseases; yet P. Manson’s discovery of 1877, that the parasite is carried by mosquitos, has scarcely ever been utilised up to the present (except perhaps in the case 1 The treatment of my brothers in Egypt is well known. In British administration we do not expect gratitude for scientific work ; but is there anything more childish than to punish such labours by gratuitous persecution ?
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