382 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



forty-eight hours, that it becomes somewhat larger (at the 

 time of sporulation it is one-half or two-thirds the size of 

 the blood-corpuscle), and that it remains unpigmented for 

 twenty-four hours and then begins to acquire pigment, 

 without, however, losing its motility. This parasite also 

 forms annular bodies, and especially crescents. It gener- 

 ally develops from eight to fifteen spores. The blood- 

 corpuscles infected by it become brass-colored, and usually 

 shrink, but never increase in size. The parasite is distin- 

 guished by these last-named peculiarities from the ordinary 

 tertian parasite (Golgi), which, besides, in all correspond- 

 ing stages is larger, is provided with more pigment, and 

 forms larger spores (from fourteen to twenty). The malig- 

 nant tertian parasite gives rise to severe tertian types of 

 fever, and also to peculiar temperature-curves, with quite 

 short afebrile intervals often lasting only a few hours, and 

 with regular pseudo-crises, and, finally, continued, or ir- 

 regular, fever. All of the varieties of fever induced by it 

 are characterized by the malignancy peculiar also to the 

 quotidian parasite. 



Mixed Infection. In a number of cases of intermittent 

 fever several of the parasites described are found together 

 in the blood, and with especial frequency pigmented quo- 

 tidian parasites, with unpigmented, and not rarely also 

 quartan with tertian parasites. Golgi found in one patient 

 three generations of the quartan parasite and two of the 

 tertian parasite. All of the various components may find 

 definite expression in the temperature-curve, or the fever 

 may pursue an irregular course. It may be, further, that 

 the temperature-course corresponds with only one variety 

 of parasite, while the other appears to exert no influence. 



Diagnosis of the Malarial Parasites (Method of 

 Blood-examination. A drop of blood is taken, as in 

 ordinary examination, from the lobule of the ear or the tip 

 of the finger, after previous cleansing by means of brush, 

 soap, mercuric chlorid, alcohol, and ether. Slides and 

 cover-glasses must be cleansed (with alcohol and ether) and 

 dried with especial care. It is advisable not to manipulate 

 them with the fingers at all, but to grasp them with the aid 

 of suitable forceps (Ehrlich). A puncture is made with 

 a lancet, the extruded drop of blood is received upon the 

 cover-slip, and this is inverted simply upon the slide. It 

 is especially important that the drop obtained be not too 



