180 NEEB. 



The experienced protozoiilogist, Doctor Von Prowazek, of the "Institut fiir Schiffs 

 and Tropenkygiene" at Hamburg, declared the forms shown in figs. 1 and 2 to be 

 parthenogenetic ones of the female crescent bodies. Professor Nocht found figs. 

 1 and 2 to be very interesting. He had never seen such forms, and, after due 

 consideration, agreed with me that we are dealing with a case of parthenogenesis. 

 Both the temporary assistant, Doctor Rodenwaldt, of the army, and Doctor 

 Gonder, assistant to Doctor Von Prowazek, suggested it to be barely possible that 

 the forms represented two microgametocytes, in which the chromatic niass had 

 just divided to produce the microga metes, which would have been expelled forth- 

 with. I believe I can bring forward a number of well-founded objections to this 

 view, as will be seen from the discussion below. Doctor Werner was of the 

 opinion that an exact critique was scarcely possible, because the blood-smears 

 had been stained with Giemsa solution to which a small quantity of a solution 

 of potassium carbonate had been added, and under such circumstances it was not 

 inconceivable that other portions of the cell and of the parasite might also have 

 been stained in the same manner as the chromatic substances. Doctor Mayer 

 also found the forms under discussion to be very peculiar, but hesitated to ex- 

 press a definite opinion regarding them. 



The interpretation of the parasitic forms which I demonstrated was 

 still difficult, even after such authorities on malaria as Le Dantec, ISTocht, 

 Von Prowazek and others had examined the slides. I therefore deter- 

 mined, to the best of my ability, further, to elucidate this point by prepar- 

 ing colored plates of the segmenting parasites, accompanied by a detailed 

 description of the latter. The facts regarding the preparation of the 

 specimens are as follows : 



To the best of my recollection the Bengalese patient already mentioned came 

 to me during my consultation hour. He appeared to be very feeble, was anremic 

 and cachectic. His temperature was between 38° and 30°C. The liver and spleen 

 were enlarged. He had never taken quinine. 



I prepared two slides in the usual way from a drop of blood. The blood on the 

 slides was congealed in a few seconds by rapidly swinging them; then the prepara-' 

 tions were immediately fixed with methyl-alcohol and afterwards stained for two 

 hours with Giemsa solution (Grubler, Leipzig), 1 to 20, mixed with two or three 

 drops of potassium carbonate, 1 to 1,000. 



Beautiful examples of Maurer's "perniciosa granules" could immedi- 

 ately be observed on the infected red blood corpuscles. The corpuscles 

 themselves were not enlarged and they had the usual red color. One 

 or occasionally two tropical rings were generally to be found in the 

 infected chromocytes and these were as a rule grown. However, the 

 majority showed the peculiarity of containing one very large -and, in 

 certain instances, a double chromatic mass, the protoplasmic ring being 

 proportionately very broad and coarse. I believe that many of these 

 forms should be considered as young gametes, which later would have 

 become crescent bodies. 



Moreover, many crescent bodies could be found, for the most part 

 female, which were almost full grown, or had recently attained maturity 

 and which were still inclosed, more or less, in membranes of different 

 form and of a ' dark, brick color. The envelope was very distinctly 



