482 THE SPIROCHETES 



Treponema bronchiale is regarded by some (Pons/ Delamare^) as indentical with 

 T. biiccale. Others (Strong/ Vincent") have expressed the opinion that it is the same 

 organism as T. vincenti, while several investigators (Fantham/ Bezangon and Etche- 

 goin*) are convinced that it is a distinct species. It was described in igo6 by Castel- 

 lani/ and a great deal of work has since been done on the relation of spirochetes to 

 the putrid types of bronchitis and empyema, lung gangrene and lung abscess, ca- 

 tarrhal exudate from sinuses, etc., with which are associated not only spirochetes of 

 various types, but also fusiform bacilli and cocci. The problem is a very complex 

 one because of the simultaneous presence of all of these organisms. Putrid empyemas 

 have been induced* by injecting rabbits subcutaneously in the region of the thorax 

 with sputum, pleural exudate, pyorrheal pus, and even with tartar from normal 

 mouths. The several types of organisms are present in the experimental lesions as in 

 the human cases, and their combined activities are believed to be the cause of the 

 diseased condition. The presence of the spirochetes, several types of which are in- 

 volved, derives some significance from the frequent, though by no means constant, 

 success of arsphenamine treatment.' While there are disagreements on almost every 

 point in connection with this problem, present evidence seems to indicate that mouth 

 hygiene may be an important factor in the prevention of certain lung affections.'" 



Treponema macrodentium,^^ which the writer cultivated in 191 2, is usually thicker 

 than T. pallidum and resembles more nearly T. recurrentis. Thick, definitely double- 

 contoured forms (Fig. 107), and also forms having only a single line of the body 

 (Fig. no), are found, not only under natural conditions, but also in cultures. 



Treponema microdentium (Figs. 105-6, 109) and T. mucosum (Fig. in), also cul- 

 tivated in 191 2," are about the same size, both smaller than T. macrodentium but 

 larger than the smallest types. They are morphologically indistinguishable, and both 

 are odor-producing in culture, but the mucosum differed from the microdentium in 

 its mucin-producing property and in its ability to survive in tissue (rabbit testicle), 

 and exerted a pyogenous action when inoculated together with agar. 



Hoffmann" distinguishes the two very minute treponema of the mouth as dentium 



1 Pons, R.: Bull. Soc. path, exot., 17, 170. 1924. 



2 Delamare, G.: ibid., 19, 322. 1926. 



3 Strong, R. P.: Science, 57, 514. 1923. 



"Vincent, H.: Bull. Acad. ray. de med. dc Bclg. (5th ser.), 2, 275. 1922; Compl. rend. Soc. de 

 biol., 94, 1 143. 1926; Bull. Acad, de med., 96, 135. 1926. 



5 Fantham, H. B.: Ann. Trop. Med., 9, 391. 1915. 



^Bezanjon, F., and Etchegoin, E.: Compl. rend. Soc. dc biol., 94, 319. 1926; 95, 475. 1926. 



7 Castellani, A.: /. Trop. Med., 29, 360. 1926. 



*Davis, D. J.: Illinois M. J., 47, 200. 1925; Kline, B. S.: /.yl.M./l., 77, 1874. ig2i; J. Infecl. 

 Dis., 32, 481. 1923; Chalmers, A. J., and O'Farrell, W. R.: J. Trap. Med., 16, 329. 1913; Ribierre, 

 P., and Kermogant, Y.: Compl. rend. Soc. de biol., 93, 1351. 1925; Smith, D. T.: Arch. Surg., 14, 

 Part II, 231. 1927. 



"Pilot, I., and Davis, D. J.: Arch. Inl. Med., 34, 313. 1924; Davis, D. J.: loc. cil.; Bloedorn, 

 W. A., and Houghton, J. E.: J.A.M.A., 76, 1559. 1921; Smith, D. T.: Am. Rev. Tuberc, 15, 352. 

 1927; Nolf, P., and Spehl, P.: Arch. med. beiges, 71, i. 1918. 



"> Kline, B. S., and Blankenhorn, M. A.: J. A.M. A., 81, 719. 1923. 



" Noguchi, H.: loc. cil. " Hoffmann, E.: Deutsche med. Wchnschr., 46, 257. 1920. 



