333 
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON MALARIA 
IN RELATION TO SPLENIC ENLARGE¬ 
MENT AND THE TREATMENT OF 
THE CRESCENTIC STAGE 
BY 
Dr. N. F. SURVEYOR, M.A., M.D. (Bom.), M.R.C.P. (Lond.), 
PROCESSOR OF BACTERIOLOGY, CRANT MEDICAL COLLEGE, AND 
IION. PHYSICIAN, JAMSHEDJ I JIJ EEBHOY HOSPITAL 
(FROM FRAMJI DINSHAW PETIT LABORATORY, AND BACTERIOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, 
GRANT MEDICAL COLLEGE, BOMBAY) 
{Received for publication 7 November , 1910) 
During- the last two years (1908 and 1909) the city of Bombay 
was highly infected with malaria, the malignant tertian type being 
most common. This was most marked in 1908, and large numbers 
of cases were admitted to hospital. Several of these were in a 
moribund state, and the blood was found to contain typical rings and 
crescents in large numbers. In spite of such severe infection, it was 
noticed that many of them had absolutely no fever , and the principal 
Ngn of malarial infection, viz., splenic enlargement , was also absent. 
I he patients were in a semi-comatose stupid state, and could not 
he made to understand questions. In some cases parasites were 
found only in small numbers, and several slides had to be examined 
before a ring or a crescent could be detected. The crescents were 
looked for in several flat thick drops, which were fixed by being- 
heated to about 70° C. for from fifteen to twenty minutes after drying 
them. This causes the serum to coagulate, and fix the leucocytes, 
blood platelets, malarial crescents and filarial embryos, if the latter 
are present. The haemoglobin does not coagulate at this temperature, 
and can be washed out by dipping the slide in distilled water. Tap 
water is not suitable if the Giemsa stain is to be used, as the salts 
m the water precipitate the stain. The slide is then stained with 
Giemsa’s stain in the usual manner. This method is similar to the 
thick film one devised by Major Ross. 
