Sir Ronald Ross 217 



mosquito carried the parasite of one disease from person 

 to person, might it not also spread malaria? A French 

 doctor working in Algeria, named Laveran, definitely 

 suggested that the mosquito might spread malaria. But 

 the medical world in general was in no hurry to give up 

 its theories on the subject. Manson retired from practice 

 in China and came to live in England. 



Nothing further was done for some years. 



Then in 1894 Major Ronald Ross, of the Indian Medical 

 Service, a doctor who had long been interested in the 

 study of malaria and other tropical diseases, returned 

 home on leave, and while in London called upon Manson. 

 The hour for the final onslaught had struck. Manson 

 explained his theories to Ross, who resolved, upon his 

 return to India, to begin at once the experiments which 

 have led to such triumphant results. 



Thus began one of the most famous partnerships in the 

 history of research, a partnership between two devoted 

 servants of humanity, one in London and the other in 

 India, who laboured for four years, inspiring and en- 

 couraging each other when doubts assailed them. 



Back in India, Major Ronald Ross set to work in 

 earnest. He contrived to have mosquitoes suck up blood 

 full of the parasites of malaria. If mosquitoes were 

 actually the carriers of the disease, then the parasites 

 would be found, alive, within their bodies. But although 

 he dissected hundreds of insects, Ross could not find what 

 he was seeking. Actually, he was then trying to infect 

 the wrong type of mosquito, for only one variety, and 

 only the female of that variety, is able to suck up and 

 develop the germs. 



Month after month Ross toiled away. Experiment 

 succeeded experiment without success. 



Manson still believed that it would be found that 

 human beings contracted malaria from mosquitoes 

 through drinking water infected by the insects after they 



