Malaria

Rabaul Says a Good Word for New Treatment.

A NEW method of combating malaria has been employed in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea during the past year and, we understand, with sat isfactory results.

Sufferers from malaria undergo a treatment extending over five days with Atebrin tablets. In the case of subter tian malaria, the Atebrin is administered with Plasmoquine Simplex.

The new preparation is made by the well-known firm of Bayers, and people who have undergone treatment in Ra baul report that they have been en tirely free of attacks of malaria. The treatment has no ill-effects, but the persons who have undergone it show for a time a peculiar yellow appearance of the skin, as if they were suffering from jaundice. The treatment is said to be effective until the person concerned is bitten again by the anopheles mosquito, when another attack may de velop, and a further treatment be necessary. A number of Territory resi dents have made a practice of under going this treatment before going south on furlough, and have thus been able to enjoy their holiday without having to suffer recurrent attacks of fever.

The medicine and treatment are not ex pensive.

It is interesting to note the steady progress that is being made in the treatment of malaria. A few years ago, the only treatment known to be of any value was the administration of quinine and, as is well known, the free use of quinine is liable to have bad effects.

Then, some three years ago. the drug known as Plasmoquine came into favour.

It was held to be better than quinine, particularly in preventing attacks of malaria, but it was far from being the perfect prophylactic. Now comes Ate brin, which is held to be a further ad vance by medical science in the cease less campaign of making the equatorial tropics safe for Europeans.

At this rate of progress the time is not far distant when the skilled medical man will be able to say that he has definitely got his foot on the neck of the malaria bug.