CHAPTER V 



FILARIA AND THE MOSQUITO 

 IMANSON's DISCOVEllY 



Under the term "'Fildvinsis " are grouped several 

 diseased states of the body whicli ha\'e received different 

 names, according to their leading features, such, for 

 example, as " Fever and Ague," " Chyluria," '* Elephan- 

 tiasis," " Barbados Leg," " Rose," etc. These morbid 

 conditions are due to the presence of a worm which 

 in its immature or larval form is known as Microfilaria 

 BancroJ'ti, and in its adult form as Filaria Bancrofti. 



The lar\'al form was first discovered by Demarquay 

 in 1863, and in 1872 I^ewis of India found that it was 

 very frequently present in the blood of Indian nati\'es. 

 To Bancroft belongs the credit of having discovered 

 the adult form. 



The parasite, and therefore the morbid conditions 

 which it gives rise to, are widely distributed over the 

 globe. It is abundant in China and India, the per- 

 centage reaching as high as 50 per cent, in the former 

 country. It is fovmd \\\ the South Sea Islands, and 

 has been observed in the Southern States of the United 



States, and also in Southern Europe. It is therefore 



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