Report on the prevention of malaria in Cyprus / by Sir Ronald Ross ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of His Majesty.

  • Ross, Ronald, Sir, 1857-1932.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on the prevention of malaria in Cyprus / by Sir Ronald Ross ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of His Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    (2) Quinine.—If every case of malaria is treated completely witlr quinine, tlie malaria parasites throughout a locality will be destroyed, and the mosquitoes will therefore be innocuous however numerous they may be. But a complete quinine treatment re- quires for an adult an administration of something like five hundred grains of quinine altogether, given in varying doses ordered by medical men and taken with the utmost regularity. The method has now been tried all through Italy, Greece, and in many parts of America and India, and the results have often proved disappointing because of the difficulty of getting people to take the drug properly. This difficulty is experienced even with soldiers and much more, therefore, with the poor populace, especially the children (who are the principal carriers of malaria). (3) Mosquito Reduction.—This consists principally in draining away the breeding waters of anophelines, or in so treating them that the larvae are killed. The destruction of the winged insects has also been advocated. The method can only be done properly by the local Public Health authorities, who have to find the money for the treatment of the breeding waters. The cost varies largely according to the nature and the amount of the local breeding surface. The advantages and disadvantages of these several methods have now been discussed throughout the world during the last fifteen years. Probably each method by itself would completely stamp out malaria if it could only be absolutely thoroughly employed—which is seldom, if ever, the case. It generally happens, therefore, that we employ two or more of the methods partially and simultaneously. In Panama all the methods have been employed together with the greatest possible success; but in most localities those methods which are easiest under the local circumstances are those which have been selected. The question is what are the best arrangements which will cost the least money and cause the greatest reduction of malaria; and I understand that it is my principal duty to advise upon this point for Cyprus. All the methods have their defects and their advantages. Mosquito nets and wire gauze are most suitable for public institu- tions and for the wealthier and more intelligent inhabitants. They should always be recommended; but, as already stated, it will be almost impossible to enforce them upon the general populace. Quinine will never be taken in sufficient doses by the general population; and D. Thomson, working under my direction, suggests that an insufficient dosage is likely if anything to increase the sexual forms of the parasite, that is, those which are engaged in their transmission. Many recent disappointments with this method have occurred; for instance, I may refer to the remarks of the Director-General of the Indian Medical Service, at the last meeting of the General Malaria Committee of India,' held at Madras on the 18th November, 1912, in which be mentions these disappointments. On the other baud, the method lays the responsibility of malaria reduction almost entirely on the people themselves, and thus saves the authorities much trouble. For example, the Government of Greece has done little more than