236 GNATS OR MOSQUITOES— CHAPTER VIII 



nient of the prophylaxis of malaria within the limits of a 

 chapter like the present, or to notice all that has been 

 written on the subject, even within the last twelve months, 

 but it is hoped that the above sketch will suffice to give a 

 general idea of the present position of the subject. In 

 bringing it to a close, the writer trusts he may be absolved 

 from the charge of holding extravagant views as to what 

 can or should be done, and to avoid all misconception, would 

 repeat that while he neither thinks it possible to exter- 

 minate Mosquitoes, or to do away with all malarial disease, 

 he is convinced that, even with our present knowledge, it 

 would be practicable to enormously diminish the number 

 of cases in any given limited area taken in hand ; and 

 further, though it is of course impossible to ensure safet}'', 

 that anyone who will avail himself of a few by no means 

 onerous precautions may greatly diminish his chances of 

 becoming infected. 



Since the above went to press, we have received good 

 accounts of the practical work of the last expedition sent 

 out by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to 

 West Africa ; and I have also received an interesting letter 

 from Dr. Yale Massey, from Portuguese West Africa, in 

 which he attributes a diminution of fever in his station to 

 the fining up of pits left by building operations, and to the 

 liberal use of quinine among the children. 



