ALG/E. 171 



cause, or, at the least, the associate, of intermittent 

 and malarial fevers, is the presence of a bacillus in 

 the blood attacking the red corpuscles. This bacillus, 

 which has been named ^^ Bacillus malarice, is abun- 

 dantly found in the blood of patients during the period 

 of attack, while during the period of acme which 

 terminates the attack only spores are found. The 

 same microscopic organism is found in all the 

 malarious districts of the Roman Campagna, and it 

 can be produced in artificial culture." ^ Richard 

 writes that the multiplication of these bodies must 

 be extremely rapid. For instance, in tertian fever 

 they are not found in the intervals of the attacks 

 (apyrexia). As the attack approaches they appear 

 in increasing numbers, and their maximum corre- 

 sponds with the beginning of the rise in temperature ; 

 from that moment they begin to perish, since the 

 heat of the fever is fatal to them, and completely 

 checks their development. This explains the inter- 

 mittent character of the disease. They produce 

 fever, the fever kills them and then subsides, when 

 apyrexia occurs they multiply again, excite fever, 

 and so on. Thus there is a successive series of auto- 

 infection by the parasite itself, unless its development 

 is arrested by sulphate of quinine. 



Diatoms, if Animal. 



One of the most fascinating romances connected 



with low life was that which held sway some half a 



century ago, strengthened by the support of the 



venerable Ehrenberg, that the Diatoms were animals, 



• Trouessart, " On Microbes, etc.," p, 1S2. 



