102 THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



from invading bed and sitting rooms, and to protect those occupied 

 out of doors in the twilight. This object has been attained with the 

 best results. 1 2 



H^EMATOZOA IN BERI-BERI. 



Under the term beri-beri, or kakke, is understood a disease 

 occurring in various tropical and subtropical countries of Asia, 

 Africa, America, and Australia. It occurs endemically and epi- 

 demically, and by predilection affects natives and immigrants of 

 the coloured races. The principal symptoms are motor disturb- 

 ances and disorders of sensation, dropsy, and cardiac disorders, 

 which are attributable to a degenerative inflammation of numerous 

 peripheral nerves. That beri-beri is an infectious disease we 

 may consider proved (Scheube). Various authors have found the 

 most varied bacilli and cocci in the blood of beri-beri patients 

 who not rarely arrive at European ports. Nevertheless, none of 

 these forms can, with any certainty, be recognised as the agents 

 of the disease. Recently several authors report that they have 

 found amoeboid forms bearing a certain resemblance to the 

 malaria plasmodia in the blood of beri-beri patients. The first 

 statements on the subject were those of Glogner, 3 then followed 

 those of Fajardo. 4 Although the latter describes several forms 

 which point to a multiplication stage, and also develop black or 

 red pigment, their protozoal nature does not seem to be as yet 

 sufficiently proved. The opinion has also been expressed that in 

 such cases it was perhaps a question of a combination of malaria 

 with beri-beri. 



1 On this subject compare : Grassi, B,, " Erst, summar. Ber. ub. Vers. z. Verhutung 

 d. Malaria " (C,. f. B., P. u. I., 1900 [i], xxviii., p. 535) ; Relaz. dell' esper. di preserv. 

 d. mal. fatto sui fsrrovieri n. piana di Capaccio, Milano, 1901 ; Die Malaria, Jena, 

 1901 ; Blanchard, R., " Instr. a I'usage des med., d. natur. et d. voyag." (Bull. Ac. med., 

 Paris, 1900 [3], xliv., p. 6 ; Celli, A., " Die neue Prophyl. d. Mal. in Latium " (C. f. B., 

 P. u. I., 1900 [i], xxviii., p. 696; Die Malaria nach d. neuest. Forsch., Wien, 1900; 

 Nuttall, G. H. F., " Neuere Forsch. ub. d. Rolls d. Mosq. bei d. Verbr. d. Malaria " (C. /. 

 B., P. u. I., 1900 [i], xxvii., pp. 193, 218, 260 and 328). 



2 Sambon and Low. Reports on Two Experiments on the Mosquito-Malaria 

 Theory. (Transactions of the Medico-Chirurgical Society, vol. Ixxxiv., 1902). 



3 Glogner, M., " Die Stellung d. Beri-beri unter d. Infectionskrankh." (Arch. f. path. 

 An., cxxxii., p. 50) ; " Weitere Beitr. z. Aetiol. d. multipl. Neuritis in d. Tropen " (ibid., 

 1895, cxli., p. 401); "Neue Unters. ub. d. klin. Verf. u. d. Aet., der Beri-berikrankh." 

 (Arch. f. Schiffs- und Trop.- Hyg., 1897, i-. PP- 4-6, 125). 



4 Fajardo, F., " Von d. Hamotozoarie d. Beri-beri u. deren Pigm." (C. f. B., P. u. I., 

 1898, [i], xxiv., p. 558); " Die Hcemotozoarie d. Beri-beri im Gehirn" (ibid., 1900, 

 xxvii., p. 249). 



