706 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1908. 



constantly to resist the invigorating influx which nature has pro- 

 vided; and there are many facts in the history of India, Italy, and 

 Africa which could be brought forward in support of this hypothesis. 



We now come face to face with that profoundly interesting sub- 

 ject, the political, economical, and historical significance of this gTeat 

 disease. We know that malaria must have existed in Greece ever 

 since the time of Hippocrates, about 400 B. C. Wliat effect has it 

 had on the life of the country? In prehistoric times Greece was 

 certainly peopled by successive waves of Aryan invaders from the 

 north — probably a fair-haired people — who made it what it became, 

 who conquered Persia and Egypt, and who created the sciences, arts, 

 and philosophies which we are only developing further to-day. That 

 race reached its climax of development at the time of Pericles. Those 

 great and beautiful valleys were thickly peopled by a civilization 

 which in some ways has not since been excelled. Everywhere there 

 were cities, temples, oracles, arts, philosophies, and a population 

 vigorous and well trained in arms. Lake Kopais, now almost de- 

 serted, was surrounded by towns whose massive works remain to this 

 day. Suddenly, however, a blight fell over all. Was it due to in- 

 ternecine conflict or to foreign conquest? Scarcely; for history 

 shows that war burns and ravages, but does not annihilate. Thebes 

 was thrice destroyed, but thrice rebuilt. Or was it due to some cause, 

 entering furtively and gradually sapping away the energies of the 

 race by attacking the rural population, by slaying the newborn in- 

 fant, by seizing the rising generation, and especially by killing out 

 the fair-haired descendant of the original settlers, leaving behind 

 chiefly the more immunized and darker children of their captives, 

 won by the sword from Asia and Africa? 



Those who have read Dr. W. North's fascinating book on " Roman 

 Fever" (Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1896) will remember the 

 suggestion that the depopulation of the Campagna was due to the sud- 

 den introduction of malaria by the mercenaries of Sylla and Marius, 

 and so recently as 1866, as we know from the works of Doctor David- 

 son, of Edinburgh, malaria entered and devastated the islands of 

 Mauritius and Reunion, either the mosquito or the parasite having 

 been then brought in from without. Similarly, could it not have 

 been introduced into Greece about the time of Hippocrates by the 

 numerous Asiatic and African slaves taken by the conquerors ? Sup- 

 posing, as is probable, that the Anophelines were already present, all 

 that was required to light the conflagration was the entry of infected 

 persons. Once started, the disease would spread by internal inter- 

 course from valley to valley, would smolder here and blaze there, 

 and would. I think, gradually eat out the high strain of the northern 

 blood. 



