HIDEYO NOGUCHI 477 



I 

 made in six instances, and in one the pallidum was demonstrated by this method. 



The organism was also detected in one of twelve specimens of spinal cord from tabes 

 dorsalis/ being found in small numbers around the nerve cells near the posterior horn. 

 These results were soon confirmed (Marinesco and Minea;^ Marie, Levaditi, and 

 Bankowski;^ and Forster and Tomasczewski^). General paralysis is therefore a dif- 

 fuse spirochetosis of the brain affecting chiefly the cortical layers. The presence of 

 the spirochetes in the parenchyma explains a great part of the histopathological 

 changes and nervous symptoms observed in the course of the disease. The infec- 

 tiousness of the spirochetes found in the brain in general paralysis was demonstrated 

 by transmission of the syphilitic infection to rabbits (Fig. qi).^ 



Treponema pertcnue {Figs. 95-96). — The organism causing yaws was found by 

 Castellani'' in 1905, not long after Schaudinn's announcement of the discovery of 

 Treponema pallidum. He called it Spirochaeta pertenuis or Spirochaeta paUidida. With 

 the change in the generic name of the syphilis organism it became Treponema pertenue, 

 Castellani's first-mentioned name having been accepted as the correct specific desig- 

 nation. 



The symptoms of yaws (or pean, or framboesia tropica) are somewhat similar to 

 those of syphilis, but the disease is extragenital and is more destructive to the skin. 

 It does not affect the visceral organs or central nervous system as does syphilis. The 

 blood of persons infected with T. pertenue gives the Wassermann reaction just as 

 does the blood of syphilitics. T. pallidum and T. pertenue are indistinguishable mor- 

 phologically, and there is apparently some cross-immunity in experimental animals. 

 In fact, some workers are convinced that the two conditions are different forms of 

 infection due to the same pathogenic agent.'' 



The Nichols strain of yaws,** which I studied, was decidedly heavier than the 

 pallidum strains which I had in rabbits at the same time. Some workers have thought 

 that the pertenue is slightly finer than the pallidum. Both organisms vary 8-12 ^i 

 in length and 0.2-0.25 /^ in width and have eight to twelve regular, deeply set spirals. 

 In orchitis of rabbits either may be as long as 16-24 ^u with a correspondingly larger 

 number of spirals. In active movements the spirals may be drawn almost straight 

 and rapidly contracted in such a way as to remind one of a spiral spring when alter- 

 nately stretched and relaxed. The body often bends at the middle as if by a convul- 

 sion. Some organisms may progress a short distance in one direction or another, al- 

 ways rotating around the axis. When in a resting or quiescent state the regular deep 

 spirals become beautifully formed and appear rigid. Both ends are sharply drawn, 



' Ibid. 



^ Marinesco, G., and Minea, J.: Bull. Acad, de med., Paris (3d ser.), 69, 235. 1913; Rev. neiirol., 

 21, 581. 1913. 



3 Marie, P., Levaditi, C, and Bankowski, L.: Btdl. et mSm. des hop. de Paris, 29, 881. 1913; 

 Compt. rend. Soc. de bioL, 74, 794. 1913; Ann. de I'Inst. Pasteur, 27, 577. 1913. 



'•Forster, E., and Tomasczewski, E.: Deutsche med. Wchnschr., 39, 1237. 1913. 



sNoguchi, H.: J.A.M.A., 61, 85. 1913. 



^ Castellani, A, : /. Trop. Med., 8, 253. 1905. 



'Butler, C. S., and Peterson, E.: /. Lab. b° Clin. Med., 12, 670. 1927. 



* Nichols, H. J.: /. Exper. Med., 12, 616. 1910. 



