306 The Philippine Journal of Science ms 



The results of Russell, (28) who also experimented with inter- 

 mittent quinine, resemble those of Teichmann. In repudiating 

 the quinine-fast theory, he states his belief that in apparent 

 quinine-fastness of the parasites the trouble is traceable to im- 

 perfect absorption of the drug. He remedies this by combining 

 the quinine with iron and strychnine or capsicum and ginger, 

 which combinations in his hands brought about a cessation of 

 the relapses. 



But, nevertheless, judging from the behavior of protozoa of 

 this type under adverse environmental conditions, there is biolo- 

 gical soundness in the following statement of David Thom- 

 son: (31) 



Since crescents or gametes (sexual parasites) are the agents which 

 infect mosquitoes, thereby propagating and spreading the disease, it is 

 of extreme importance to rid the blood of them. Small doses of quinine 

 encourage their production and intermittent large doses have the same 

 effect. I hold, therefore, that except in unusual circumstances clinicians 

 who adhere to treatment in small doses, or who give large doses (thirty 

 grains daily) intermittently are doubly guilty of malpractice, and that 

 patients who refuse to undergo a thorough course of treatment are not 

 only foolish to themselves, but are in addition a danger to a tropical 

 community infested with mosquitoes. 



To this I may add that our present knowledge regarding 

 gamete carriers should teach us that ridding the blood of game- 

 tocytes effectively involves prolonged treatment directed against 

 their progenitors, the trophozoites. I have no knowledge of the 

 length of time a gametocyte may live, as such, in the circulation. 

 The microgametocytes have little to fall back upon during this 

 period in the life cycle of the organism, when food-taking would 

 seem to be impossible, and they probably perish very quickly. 

 The macrogametocytes contain a certain store of food substance 

 which becomes available during sporogony; and, even if this 

 is convertible into energy during life in the blood, there is a 

 limit to it, and once exhausted it would seem that the cell would 

 quickly die. Therefore, the persistence of gametocytes in the 

 blood of a malarial convalescent would appear to be evidence 

 of the presence, somewhere within the host organism, of the 

 asexual forms that are continuously developing into the sexual 

 forms. 



Ross's conclusions regarding the efficacy of tartar emetic in 

 the elimination of crescents seem not to be borne out by later 

 work; and, until more proof of its efficiency in this direction is 

 brought forward, we must, in the work of sterilizing carriers, 



