OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 229 



liver. There adenomatous tumors with papilliferous 

 growth of the tubule linings occur in the rabbit in- 

 fection. In the epithelium of these tumor-like bile 

 duct growths may be seen the various stages of the 

 endogenous cycle of development of the organisms. 

 These tumorous foci of coccidial habitation produce 

 gross white nodules in the liver substance. There 

 is a chronic cellular reaction and increasing fibrosis 

 associated with the papilliferous adenoma-like for- 

 mation. The oocysts escape from the bile ducts into 

 the intestine and are passed in the feces, from which 

 dissemination of the infection takes place. They are 

 liberated from the epithelium and escape from the 

 body in immature form. The oocyst of E. steidae 

 is from 20 to 40 microns in length and 16 to 25 

 microns wide. It is ovoid in shape, is of yellowish 

 color, and one pole is flattened. The ripe oocyst of 

 the genus Eimeria is spherical and it has four spaces 

 with tw^o sporozoites each. 



Further information as to the identity of the coc- 

 cidium of man's liver is necessary before it can be 

 finally placed. Certainly such a disease as occurs 

 in the liver of the rabbit is not likely to be overlooked 

 at autopsy. It must be rare to the degree of a patho- 

 logic curiosity. 



