GIARDIA LAMBLIA: HOST-PARASITE SPECIFICITY 



and Lavier (1923). In the same year Westphal and 

 Georgi (1923) also found giardias in the duodenal fluid 

 of a patient suffering from cholecystitic symptoms. On 

 removing the gall bladder, large numbers of giardias 

 were found in this organ. Less convincing evidence is 

 that of Felsenreich and Satke (1923) who maintain that 

 various disturbances of the liver and gall bladder are due 

 to giardias that occurred in large numbers in duodenal 

 juice. Similar evidence is offered by Labbe, Nepveux 

 and Gavrila (1925) and Pappalardo (1925) to explain 

 symptoms of what they designate "vesicular lambliasis." 

 On the other hand, Chiray and Lebon (1925) report a 

 case of cholecystitis in which giardias were abundant in 

 the duodenal juice but absent from the excised gall blad- 

 der, and Gaivoronsky ( 1925) described two similar cases, 

 one of cholecystitis and the other of gall-stone. The data 

 available indicate that giardias may migrate through the 

 bile ducts and into the gall bladder but do not prove that 

 they are responsible for the disturbances associated with 

 their presence. 



(4) HosT-PARASiTE SPECIFICITY. Historical. The 

 giardia of man, as Dobell (1920) has shown, was first 

 described by Leeuwenhoek in 1681. It was not again 

 noted in the literature until Lambl (1859) found it in 

 the feces of children. From that time on cases of human 

 infection were frequently reported. That these flagellates 

 also occurred in mice, rats and cats was reported by 

 Grassi (1879, 1881). Twenty years later, Metzner 

 ( 1901 ) gave a good description of giardias from the rab- 

 bit. During all this time only one species was recognized 

 in man and lower animals and cross-infection between 



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