From an Easy ChairLankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
History
From an Easy Chair
Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
Natural history; Science
Dr. Koch appears to have been questioned on his return to Europe by
some journalists as to the results of his study of sleeping sickness
during the past year and a half in Uganda. It was already known (three
years ago), from the observations of Professor Minchin, Dr. Gray,
and Dr. Tulloch (the Royal Society’s observers in Uganda), that the
tsetse-fly in Uganda sucks the blood of crocodiles, also of fishes
and of hippopotami. Dr. Koch confirms this observation. Minchin also
observed a trypanosome in the blood of the crocodile differing from
that of sleeping sickness. Whether crocodiles help, in an important
degree, to keep tsetse-flies alive in the regions where they occur,
by offering them a ready meal of blood, is uncertain. So far as the
facts are known, they do not lead to the belief that the crocodile is a
“reservoir host” for the trypanosome of sleeping sickness.
“Reservoir-host” is a very useful and expressive name for animals
which can tolerate or support a parasite in their blood which is
deadly to other animals. The parasite flourishes in abundance in the
reservoir-host with entire satisfaction to both host and guest. But
a blood-sucking fly or gnat, of promiscuous tastes in the matter
of blood, comes along, sucks the reservoir-host a bit, and then
goes off for another meal to a susceptible animal, into which it
introduces the parasite now adhering to its already blood-smeared
proboscis or beak. Such a history was first established by Bruce in
regard to the trypanosome parasite which causes the deadly nagana
disease in the “fly-belts” of South Africa. The big game animals are
reservoir-hosts to this parasite, from which they are carried by the
tsetse-fly to horses, mules, and dogs, which, being of foreign origin,
are not tolerant of it, but are killed by the poison to which its
multiplication in their blood gives rise. Thus, too, native children,
both in Africa and the East Indies, appear to be tolerant of the
malaria parasite, and act as reservoir-hosts from which the spot-winged
gnats suck and distribute the parasite to the non-tolerant, susceptible
adult natives and white men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account