98 RESEARCH IN PROTOZOOLOGY 



the enema, the writer feels that the use of a purgative which enters 

 the cecum and insures passage of cecal contents into the colon 

 is a more satisfactory method than the one proposed by Chiang. 

 The necessity of repeated examination of animals employing a 

 combination of the above-mentioned methods is emphasized, and 

 building up a stock of negative animals is recommended. 



2. KITTENS 



In addition to Isospora, which is often associated with definite 

 diarrheic symptoms in kittens, natural infections of three other 

 intestinal protozoa have been reported. They are an amoeba re- 

 sembling Endamceba histolytica of man and producing a similar 

 acute infection. One case has been reported by Franchini (1920) 

 in Italy and three cases of this natural amoebiasis were observed 

 by the writer in Peking (Kessel, 1928&). 



The methods for carrying on experimental amoebiasis in kittens 

 will be discussed elsewhere in this monograph by Dr. Rees, so it 

 is unnecessary to elaborate them in this chapter. However, the 

 writer feels that in all experimental work with kittens, whether 

 for amoebiasis experiments or for infection experiments with flag- 

 ellates, the kittens should be subjected to the following three 

 methods for the detection of natural infections : 



I. The feces should be examined daily according to ordinary 

 laboratory routine, employing both the preliminary Donaldson's 

 stain and examination of the permanent smear stained with iron 

 haematoxylin for a period of not less than two weeks. 



II. On three successive days during the two weeks, kittens 

 should be given a drastic purge of magnesium sulphate and the 

 feces examined as described above and cultured in the L.E.S. 

 medium of Boeck and Drbohlav (1925) or its modifications. The 

 Epsom salt method is especially essential for the detection of nat- 

 ural Giardia infection. 



III. Three high colon enemas should be given at intervals dur- 

 ing the two weeks and the material collected by the catheter dur- 

 ing the enema should be subjected both to microscopic examina- 

 tion and to culture. This method is specially important in detecting 

 natural infections of Trichoiuonas and amoebae. 



Trichomonas 



Trichomonas was first reported by da Cunha and Muniz (1922) 

 in South America, who named the organism Trichomonas felis. 



