CHAPTER XLVI 

 THE MICROBE OF MALARIAL FEVER 



ABOUT 25,000 deaths occur in the United States 

 every year from malarial fever. The disease pre- 

 vails more in the South than in the North. Gen- 

 erally, whether in the North or in the South, on 

 lowlands, near swamps and marshes. 



The disease has distinct stages. First, a chill. 

 Second, fever. Third, sweating. Fourth, a quiet 

 time. These stages may come every day, every 

 second day, every third day, or every fourth day. 



This fever, in every case, is caused by a tiny mi- 

 crobe. This microbe is an animal. A few of the 

 disease producing germs belong to the animal king- 

 dom, and the malarial germ is one of them. 



This animal microbe multiplies by the produc- 

 tion of spores. Once in the system and the circula- 

 tion, the germ grows and reproduces itself in great 

 numbers. By their life processes these beings gen- 

 erate the malarial poison. This poison then per- 

 meates the entire system and produces the ma- 

 larial fever in all its states chills, fever, sweat- 

 ing. 



The peculiar thing about it is, in growing and 

 multiplying, these exceedingly minute' animals 

 fasten themselves upon the red corpuscles of the 



174 



