﻿IX, B, 2 



Sanitary Survey in Mindoro 



183 



Table X. — The relation of splenic enlargement to malarial parasites in the 



blood. 



Spleen. 



Malarial 

 parasites. 



Palpable 



Do 



Much enlarged 

 Do 



Total enlarged 

 Do 



Not enlarged- 

 Do 







+ 

 



+ 







+ 







Cases. 



89 



53 



66 



98 



105 



151 



224 



523 



Percent- 

 age of 

 agree- 

 ment. 



1- 



29 

 40.24 

 41.01 

 70.01 



From Table X it appears that the agreement between spleen 

 rate and the parasite rate is not very close. The percentage of 

 agreement is greatest in those cases that showed no splenic 

 enlargement, being 70.01 per cent; it is markedly less in those 

 cases that show a splenic enlargement, being 41.01 per cent; 

 and it is slightly less in those cases which have a much enlarged 

 spleen than in those where the spleen is only palpable, being 42.24 

 and 42.39, respectively, in the two series. This relationship 

 between spleen index and microscopic findings may be expressed 

 in another way. Of 256 persons who had enlarged spleens 

 only 105, or 41 per cent, showed malarial parasites in their 

 blood; and of 329 persons who showed malarial parasites in 

 their blood only 105, or 31.91 per cent, had enlarged spleens. 



It is true that 50 of the persons who had enlarged spleens 

 but in whose blood malarial parasites were not found gave a 

 history of attacks of malaria within a year, and it is probable 

 that others, who gave no history of malaria, had suffered from 

 previous attacks of malaria. It is further probable that 

 some of the persons who were negative microscopically for 

 malaria were nevertheless infected. Taking these facts into 

 consideration, the percentage of agreement between those who 

 had enlarged spleens and those who were or had previously been 

 infected with malaria would be increased. 



Since both the spleen rate and the parasite rate are generally 

 considered to be more trustworthy when applied to children 

 between the ages of 1 and 10 years, it is of interest to compare 

 the two methods of diagnosis in these patients grouped accord- 

 ing to ages. For reasons previously stated, the majority of 

 these people were adult males ; therefore, the number of children 

 between the ages of 1 and 10 years included in these examina- 

 tions is small. 



