Sir Ronald Ross 221 



and position of the parasite within it. By an extremely lucky 

 observation I had now discovered both the unknown quantities 

 at the same moment. The mosquito was the Anopheles, and 

 the parasite lives in or on its gastric wall and can be recognized 

 at once by the characteristic pigment. All the work on the 

 subject which has been done since then by me and others 

 during the last thirty years has been mere child's play which 

 anyone could do after the clue was once obtained. 



In his great joy at the prospects opened up by the 

 discovery Ross composed these verses to commemorate 

 the day: 



This day relenting God 

 Hath placed within my hand 

 A wondrous thing ; and God 

 Be praised. At His command, 



Seeking His secret deeds 

 With tears and toiling breath, 

 I find thy cunning seeds, 



million-murdering Death ! 



1 know this little thing 

 A myriad men will save. 



O Death, where is thy sting ? 

 Thy victory, O Grave ? 



The key had been found, but much more remained to 

 be done. Ross had studied the germs five days after they 

 entered the mosquito. But what happened afterward? 

 How did the mosquitoes infect human beings, and pos- 

 sibly each other ? These questions had to be answered 

 in order to place in the hands of doctors a means of 

 fighting the scourge. 



Unfortunately, at this point in his investigations Ross 

 was ordered to report to headquarters in Bombay for 

 military duty, and for some months no further progress 

 was made. Ross wrote fully to Manson, however, send- 

 ing him slides with specimens of the malaria-bearing 

 mosquito. 



