222 MALTA FEVER 



also rabies in man may be expected. The lesson to 

 be learnt from the foregoing facts is that the fewer the 

 domestic pets in and around the dwellings of man the 

 better ; because it stands to reason that, diflicult as it 

 is to maintain the healtli and cleanliness of man, it 

 must necessarily be far more so in the case of cats and 

 dogs, whose wanderings in dirty places can no more 

 be prevented than those of the conmion fly. 



Geogi'aphical Distrihutloii. — Malta fever has a wide 

 distribution, producing much suffering and loss of time. 

 It occurs in the islands of the Mediterranean, Italy, 

 Greece, Turkey, Palestine, North Coast of Africa, Cape 

 Colony, Orange River Colony, Arabia, India, China, 

 Philippine Islands, Fiji Islands, North America, West 

 Indies, and South America, etc. 



jyiHCovcry of Virus and Cdi^rier. — This disease 

 remained a mystery until its nature and significance 

 were worked out by Sir David Bruce, F.R.S., in Malta. 

 In the following account of the results achieved I follow 

 closely the account given by the discoverer of the 

 disease and the author of the simple but absolutely 

 effective prophylactic measures. The virus consists of 

 a small coccus, and is therefore not of the nature of 

 an animal parasite, but belongs to the bacterial group. 



Distrihutioii of tJte Disease in Ma/fa. — The popula- 

 tion of the island is about 200,000. The garrison 

 averages about 8,000 troops ; in addition there is a 

 considerable sailor population. ]5ruce states that almost 

 every native of Malta suffers at one time or another 

 from tlie disease. 



He remarks, " Amongst our troops in the past up 



