The Microscope. 18 ; 



Its simplicity of constniction, with few wearing parts, and slight lia- 

 bility to get out of order in the hands of inexperienced persons, will 

 also commend it to the teacher and investigator. Experience has 

 already shown that those once vising it can scarcely ever be again 

 induced to use the most efficient sledge or automatic microtomes of 

 different design if they can have access to this instrument. This 

 device is made by Mr. Zentmayer, 209 south Eleventh street, Phila- 

 delphia, whose name is a sufficient guarantee of the workmanship 

 employed in its constniction, and to whom those interested are 

 referred. 



ABSTRACTS. 



THE MICRO-ORGANISMS OF THE BLOOD IN MALARIAL 



FEVER. 



Councilman, in studying the blood of malarial patients with 

 reference to the mirco-organisms pointed out by other observers, has 

 thrown much light upon the subject. Eighty cases examined, em- 

 braced all forms of malarial disease common to the vicinity of Balti- 

 more, Md. These cases were divided into intei'mittent fever, 

 remittent fever, malarial cachexia, and comatose malarial fever. 

 The blood in most cases was examined fresh, although numerous 

 examinations were made after drying on the cover slip, and subse- 

 quently staining with some of the aniline colors. The cases of 

 intermittent were nearly all of the tertian form, only a few, four in all, 

 •were quotidian. There is considerable difPerence in the blood in 

 intermittent fever, depending on the length of time from the begin- 

 ning of the attack. In the first days of the attack plasmodia (the 

 amoeboid organism of Marchiafava and Celli) are found ouly during 

 the chill. They are small and extremely difficult to see, the diffi- 

 culty being increased by irregularities on the surface of the red 

 corpuscles, and a vacuolation, or what appears to be this, inside of 

 them. They may or may not be pigmented, the pigmented forms 

 being seldom found in the first few paroxysms, but later most of 

 them are pigmented. The plasmodia appear as pale homogeneous 

 masses inside the red corpuscles. They are either round or irregu- 

 lar in shape, the irregularities taking the form of round knob-like 

 projections. Their size varies from one-third to one-fourth the 

 diameter of the corpuscle, up to a size almost or wholly filling the 

 corpuscle, which in this case is larger than ordinary and almost 

 completely deprived of pigment. Sometimes the corpuscle appar- 



