ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
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question in 1878, while in Algeria, and then proceeded to describe the 
various forms of the parasite of malaria he had met with in human 
blood. (1) Spherical bodies with a diameter of 1-10 /z. These are 
endowed with amoeboid movements and in their later stages enclose pig- 
ment-granules. These are usually free in the plasma but may adhere to 
the red corpuscles. (2) Flagella : these are mobile filaments found 
adhering at first to the spherical bodies but afterwards becoming free. 
(3) Crescentiform bodies 8-9 /z long. These usually contain pigment- 
granules massed towards the centre and the horns of the crescent are 
frequently united by a fine filament. (4) Segmented bodies : these are 
represented as rings or circles of spherical bodies having in their centre 
a small collection of pigment-granules. (5) Leucocytes containing pig- 
ment-granules. These leucocytes are supposed to have seized on and 
devoured pigment-bearing parasites. The author considers that the 
malaria parasite is a polymorphic organism belonging to the class 
Sporozoa, and then goes on to point out that intravenous injection of mala- 
ria blood almost invariably succeeds in reproducing the disease and this 
parasite as well. The first symptoms are developed in 5-10 days after 
injection and this time suggests the incubation period. 
The author then passes on to review the relation between the blood- 
parasites found in animals and the haematozoa of malaria. In the red 
corpuscles of certain Vertebrates, especially of birds, are found forms 
strictly analogous to, and, indeed, resembling in almost every respect 
the parasites found in human malaria. But attempts to transfer this 
disease from one of these animals to another failed, although the parasite 
could be easily transferred from one individual to another of the same 
species. Thus Celli and Sanfelice have infected one lark from another, 
but failed in attempting to inoculate a pigeon with lark’s blood. 
Parasites of Red Blood-corpuscles.* — Prof. A. Celli thus compares 
the Italian doctrine of malaria with the views of Prof. Laveran. Both 
theories agree as to most of the facts, that is, there are forms free in the 
blood ; spherical bodies with or without flagella ; free flagella ; semi- 
lunar bodies ; forms adhering to or included in red corpuscles ; sporulat- 
ing bodies. The Italian observers, however, have described several other 
forms indicative of segmentation and dissemination : — (1) According to 
Laveran the free flagellum is the perfect parasite, the spherical bodies 
being merely cysts or sacs enclosing the parasite. According to the 
Italians the flagellated bodies are sterile, degenerative forms, and their 
movements, so to speak, expressive of their death struggle. (2) Accord- 
ing to Laveran the parasite is always free except, perhaps, in its early stage 
where it is found adhering to the surface of the red corpuscle, while the 
Italian writers consider it to be essentially endoglobular ; it is born and 
developed within the corpuscle, and if it leave before spore-formation it is 
sterile. (3) Both French and Italian schools accept the view that the 
crescentiform or semilunar bodies are degenerative conditions of the red 
corpuscles, directly due to the action of the parasites, though the latter 
observers maintain that this is only one of the degeneration forms of 
the parasite. (4) The segmentation bodies are the keystone or pivot of 
the Italian theory; this stage represents, according to them, the sporu- 
* Trans. Seventh Internat. Congress Hygiene, ii. (1892) pp. 20-28. 
