18971 MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 2Y7 



The Type. — Blood examination, however, demonstrates 

 not merely the fact of mahiria hut also its types, since 

 the various clinical forms of the disease correspond to 300 

 logically distinct, immutable species of parasite. Deter- 

 mination of species embraces more than purely biologi- 

 cal interest; it declares also the prognosis, as in the per- 

 nicious forms, and designates the treatment, as arsenic 

 in the tropical types. Councilman stated several years 

 ago that in intermittent fever the parasite was seen 

 within the red blood corpuscle, while in remittent fever 

 or in malarial cachexia it was frequently seen without 

 the same or in elongated forms and crescents. Crescents 

 augur relapse. The presence of segmentation forms 

 predict an imminent or incipient paroxysm. The alleged 

 detection of the plasmodium is often doubted by us, 

 since it is not uncommon to hear practitioners state that 

 they have found Laveran's organisms, an error at least 

 in species determination. 



In general terms, the number of parasites found in the 

 blood corresponds to the severity of the attack, although 

 some believe the large spore-producing bodies remain 

 largely in internal bodies. 



Motility. — In the ordinary tertian parasite there is 

 lively amoeboid movement in the young and middle-aged 

 forms. In the quartan form there is slight movement 

 in the young parasite. In the aestivo-autumnal type it is 

 variable, often very active. 



Pigment. — In tertian malaria the pigment is pale and 

 yellowish brown, is fine, and in the young forms is most 

 active, or "swarming" ; it accumulates towards the peri- 

 phery of the parasite, in the pseudopodia protrudes, but 

 in the older forms it becomes central. The pigment is 

 inversely proportional in amount to the amoeboid move- 

 ment, i. e., the more pigment the less the amoeboid 

 movement. 



In the quartan the pigment is coarse, being somewhat 



