224 Master Minds of Modern Science 



The process by which the parasites of the disease are 

 first sucked into the body of the mosquito, and later 

 injected into the blood of another person, is one of the 

 most amazing things ever discovered about the insect 

 world. 



Three or four days before the female mosquito lays her 

 eggs she settles upon a human being and gorges herself 

 with blood. If the person she happens to bite is infected 

 with malaria, the insect sucks up into her stomach the 

 parasites of the disease. These parasites do not die, but 

 are fertilized and multiply while within the mosquito. 

 The malaria germ then undergoes a change, after which 

 it finds its way down the walls of the insect's stomach 

 and forms a cyst. In this cyst thousands of little pointed 

 bodies develop, until finally the cyst bursts and these 

 bodies find their way into the salivary glands of the 

 insect. The germs are then ready to leave the mosquito's 

 body, and the next time the mosquito pierces the human 

 skin to suck blood they enter the puncture, and a few 

 days later there is another victim of malarial fever. 



All that is probably a little difficult to follow, but its 

 being so is a further tribute to the endless patience of the 

 man who tracked down this amazing secret of nature for 

 the first time, by dissecting thousands of tiny insects, and 

 who, despite many failures, thus pieced together that 

 complete picture. 



There were many ready to scoff. Even after Ross had 

 infected birds by exposing them to malaria-carrying 

 mosquitoes there were many who declared that he and 

 others had " mosquitoes on the brain.' ' 



Happily Ross was content to pursue his investigations 

 to the end, undeterred by criticism and unspoiled by 

 praise. He believed he was on the right road. That was 

 enough. To him is the glory of a great victory over 

 death and disease. 



Ross's discovery brought him honours, but not wealth. 



