The President's Address. By G. S. Woodland. 125 



Italians, following up these observations, demonstrated a similar 

 series of stages of the malarial parasite in the stomach wall of certain 

 of the Anopheline mosquitoes, and gradually the complete life-history 

 of the parasite was obtained ; and now, given proper facilities, malaria 

 has been or can be driven out of fever-stricken areas that once 

 were regarded as uninhabitable bv the white man. Yellow fever 

 has given way to the researches of the Americans, who, though not 

 finding the causal parasite, have found its mosquito host Stegomyia 

 faseiata, and whole areas and islands once spoken of as " white 

 men's graves " have been rendered comparatively healthy by raids 

 on the mosquito host of the hypothetical parasite. Trypanosomes 

 have also been traced from host to host, human, animal, and insect, 

 and anyone who has seen the beautiful preparations and exquisite 

 microscopical technique and management of monochromatic light 

 utilized by Professor Minchin in his work cannot be surprised at 

 the great progress that has been made in the study and description 

 of the various phases of existence of the protozoal parasite and of 

 the development of these parasites in their different hosts. We 

 are told that Schaudinn was one of the most expert microscopists 

 of his time, and that his discovery of the spirochetes or spironema 

 of syphilis, against which Ehrlich has waged such successful war 

 with his chemiotherapy, was due in no small measure to his incom- 

 parable skill in technique and staining methods. Once he had 

 made the demonstration of this almost invisible parasite, however, 

 the Microscope manufacturers soon provided optical combinations 

 by means of which Schaudinn's and Metchnikoff's observations 

 were readily confirmed by investigators all over the world. 



It is generally recognized, even outside Great Britain, that 

 some sixty years ago (old Pepys notes this at an earlier date) and 

 onwards, the best Microscopes of a certain type were constructed 

 in this country, and that nowhere have the results of the study of 

 the mathematics of optics been applied with greater skill and 

 intelligence ; and we all look forward with keen interest to the 

 appearance of Mr. Eousselet's and Mr. Cheshire's catalogue of 

 Microscopes, the property of our Society. When we examine the 

 dates of the various English Microscopes, note their special features, 

 and compare them with the list of contemporary foreign Micro- 

 scopes, when we make a survey of the work done by them at home 

 and abroad, I think it will be found that we, at any rate, have 

 been well supplied with instruments with which to pursue those 

 branches of Medical Science involving the use of the Microscope. 

 Individuals have used their great opportunities, but it must be 

 admitted that until comparatively recently our Continental brethren, 

 making use of their fewer opportunities more quickly and com- 

 pletely, forged ahead so rapidly and with such vigour that in this 

 work we have not always held our own. Whilst it has always 

 been the boast of English Medicine that it has been intensely 



April 15th, 191U K 



