92 FOOD FOR THE TROPICS 



microbes of the class referred to belong to the lowest forms 

 of animal life, viz. the Protozoa — and probably antiseptics 

 act similarly on all. 



The malarial microbe is very easily killed outside the 

 body ; in fact, there is a difficulty in keeping it alive. So 

 that it would appear as if the volatile oils could easily kill 

 the microbe in the body. 



The most recent researches in medicine show that the 

 three principal diseases in India are fever, cholera, and 

 tropical dysentery. In all these complaints the microbes 

 are present in the corpuscles of the blood, and have entered 

 the body by the lungs, with the food and water, or, as 

 recently proved by Major Ross (Director of the School of 

 Tropical Diseases, Liverpool), by the bites of mosquitoes. 

 AUbutt* states that these microbes are the "immediate 

 cause" of the disease. Quinine, as Mitchell Bruce f and 

 Bartholow (U.S.A.) X inform us, acts " as an antiseptic, and 

 kills the microbe." This drug constitutes the usual medical 

 treatment of malarial fever, but no one has ever realized 

 the great value of the spices, which act as a constant pre- 

 ventive to the above diseases by killing the microbes if they 

 enter by the lungs, mouth, or skin. 



Bartholow (U.S.A.) § states " there is a distinct relation 

 between the antiseptic and antijDyretic properties of various 

 members of the group of antiseptics as they have the power 

 to depress temperature in the same ratio as they are active 

 in destroying disease germs or ferments." 



* "System of Medicine," 1897, vol. ii., p. 309. 



t " Materia Medica," p. 265. 



X " Materia Medica," p. 203. 



§ " Materia Medica," 1896, p. 366. 



