589 
111  conclusion  the  writer  would  urge  the  necessity  of  a  thorough 
investigation  of  the  question  of  malaria  in  Egypt,  and  especially  a 
study  of  Anophelines  likely  to  act  as  carriers  of  the  disease.  In 
Ismailia,  malaria  was  at  one  time  rife  :  it  occurred  at  Port  SaicP'  ,  and 
it  is  .said  to  occur  in  the  W  estern  Oases,  and  to  have  a  decided 
injurious  effect  on  the  inhabitants.  If  malaria  exists  or  has  existed 
m  such  widely  separated  localities  though  they  may  not  be  entirely 
representative  in  some  respects  of  the  country  as  a  whole --why  does 
ill  not  occur  more  commonly  m  other  parts  of  Egypt?  The  country 
111  the  North  of  the  Delta  is  full  of  canals — which  in  a  great  many 
cases  are  full  of  grasses  and  other  plants — stagnant  drains,  marshes, 
and  last,  but  not  least,  rice  fields  ;  111  other  words  a  country  well  suited 
to  breeding  Anophelines,  which  are  known  to  occur  there  at  certain 
times  of  the  year  and  in  certain  localities  in  large  numbers.  Yet  one 
is  informed  that  malaria  is  rare  in  Egypt,  and  so  far  no  satisfactory 
reason  has  been  given  for  this  apparently  anomalous  condition.  It 
is  because  of  the  lack  of  exact  information  on  this  problem  m  Egypt 
that  the  writer  ventures  to  put  forward  a  plea  for  further  work  on  the 
question.  If  investigation  proves  that  malaria  is  rare,  as  is  generally 
stated,  so  much  the  better  for  Egypt.  Moreover  the  utility  of  this 
work  would  not  end  here,  as  it  is  probable  that  the  explanation  of  the 
immunity  of  Egypt,  if  it  is  a  fact,  w'ould  throw  light  on  many 
imperfectly  understood  problems  of  malarial  distribution  elsewhere. 
The  writer  would  here  tender  his  sincere  thanks  to  the  man}’ 
persons  who  have  aided  him  in  the  work  which  forms  the  subject  of 
this  paper. 
Kn«s,  K.  I  j.  The  prevcnlioii  of  ^'e\•el•  on  the  .Sue/  (.'anal.  Cairo.  IQ09,  p.  14. 
