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Arnold (W. J. J.). The Etiology of Bevi-Beil— Brit. Med. J I., 

 London, 7th Feb. 1914, pp. 299-300. 



In considering the etiology of beri-beri the author contradicts the 

 theory that the disease is due to the eating of decorticated rice. From 

 his own observations and from those recorded by others he has been 

 long impressed with the probably infectious nature of the disease, 

 and urges that measures of disinfection be carried out till accurate 

 knowledge is obtained. There is a great deal that points to the 

 conveyance of the disease by parasites. The bug is more likely than 

 lice to harbour the possible germ. The bug clings more to places 

 and its eggs are difficult to destroy. The organism may even develop 

 in the latter. The part, if any, played by parasites in the etiology of 

 this disease must be thoroughly investigated by modern methods 

 •before the question is finally settled. 



Price (J. D.) & Eo(4ers (L.). The uniform success of Segregation 

 Measures in eradicating Kala-Azar from Assam Tea-Gardens : its 

 bearing on the probable mode of Infection. — Brit. Med. Jl., London, 

 7th Feb. 1914, pp. 285-289. 



The segregation measures adopted in attempting to eradicate kala- 

 azar from tea-gardens in Assam have met with uniform success. It 

 has been proved that a distance of a few hundred yards — not more 

 than 300 or 400 in certain instances — suffices for the permanent 

 protection of coolie lines, provides no infected person is allowed to 

 reside in them. Therefore any mode of infection through such flying 

 insects as mosquitos may be excluded. Christophers, Donovan, 

 Patton and others have demonstrated that the kala-azar parasite 

 can sometimes be found in small numbers in the peripheral blood. 

 Rogers obtained the development of the flagellate stage in sterile 

 citrated normal sahne solution, kept at a temperature below 75° F. 

 Such a sterile saline medium is not likely to occur in nature except in 

 the stomach of some biting insect. Rogers obtained the most copious 

 development by neutralising or slightly acidifying the salt solution, 

 and also found that the contents of the stomachs of bed-bugs, after 

 sucking Inmian blood, often showed such a reaction combined with 

 sterility, and consequently he suggested the bed-bug as the most likely 

 carrier of the infection. Although he failed to obtain experimental 

 proof of this theory during his stay in Assam, yet soon afterwards 

 Patton succeeded in occasionally demonstrating the development of the 

 flagellate stage of the parasite in bed-bugs fed on kala-azar patients. 

 It has been objected that Patton has succeeded in obtaining very few 

 positive results, but this is not a serious obstacle to the theory. Bed- 

 bugs can be collected by the score from every coolie hut, so that if 

 one bed-bug in a hundred was capable of carrying the infection of 

 kala-azar every person in an infected house would rapidly develop the 

 disease. The disease however spreads slowly, but if people go on living 

 in infected houses the great majority of them do eventually contract 

 it. The comparative rarity of the parasite in the peripheral blood 

 accounts for much difficulty in the natural infection of the insects, 

 but it would be quite sufficient for bed-bugs very rarely to become 

 capable of conveying the infection to enable them to become efficient 

 carriers of the disease. In an experiment bv Dodds Price the houses 



