NEMATODA 193 



that the female mosquito, after gorging itself with human 

 blood, repairs to stagnant water for the purpose of digesting 

 the blood, and also for the purpose of depositing its eggs. 

 During this period, which lasts four or five days, the Filariae 

 undergo remarkable changes. Subsequently, in a more perfect 

 state, they escape into the water, and in this advanced stage 

 they are conveyed to the human body along with the water as 

 drink. Dr Manson persuaded a Chinese, whose blood was 

 previously ascertained to abound with Filarise, to sleep in a 

 " mosquito house. " In the morning the gorged insects were 

 captured and examined under the microscope. A drop of 

 blood from the mosquito was found to contain 120 Filariae, but 

 a drop taken from the man's hand yielded only some thirty 

 specimens. Further stages of development are accomplished 

 within the human host, ending in the sexual maturity of the 

 parasite. After fecundation successive swarms of embryos 

 are discharged by the female worm, a part of whose progeny 

 eventually gains access to the blood. 



Before I proceed to summarise the whole body of facts I 

 must in the next place state that Manson and myself con- 

 tributed a joint communication to the Medical Society of 

 London on the 25th of March, 1878. In this memoir I especially 

 dealt with the question of priority in connection with the dis- 

 covery of the adult worm. I then restated that the adult 

 parasite was discovered by Dr Bancroft on December 21st, 



1876. The discovery was verified by Dr Lewis on August 7th, 



1877, by Dr Silva Araujo October 16th, 1877, and by Dr F. 

 dos Santos November 12th, 1877. I gave these dates unhesi- 

 tatingly, without, however, in any way prejudicing the question 

 already raised in respect of the identity of the worms found in 

 each case. My own mind was fully made up on that point, 

 and affirmatively so. Dr dos Santos' find was made in conjunc- 

 tion with Dr J. de Moura in a case of lymphatic abscess of the" 

 arm. Clinically viewed, the case published by Dr Araujo must 

 be regarded as unique. Not only were adult and embryonic 

 Filariae found in the same patient, but, what was far more sur- 

 prising and interesting, the patient displayed in his own person 

 several of the disorders hitherto found apart ; and he was more 

 than once attacked by one or two of the diseases. He expe- 

 rienced a first attack of chyluria three years ago, then attacks 

 of craw- craw commencing a year ago, the latter being attri- 

 buted to bathing in a particular lagoon. He had a second 



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