POLYMASTIGINA 



387 



is capable of inciting an inflammatory reaction in the vaginal mucous 

 membrane and according to Hogue (1943), this flagellate produces a 

 substance which injures the cells in tissue culture. It occurs also in 

 the male urethra (Feo, 1944). Morphology (Reuling, 1921; Wenrich, 

 1939, 1944, 1944a, 1947); taxonomy, structure and division (Hawes, 

 1947); comprehensive monograph (Trussell, 1947). 

 Because of the morphological similarity of these three species of 



Fig. 165. a, Trichomonas microti, X2000 (Wenrich and Saxe); b-d, 

 T. gallinae, X1765 (Stabler) (b, from domestic pigeon; c, from turkey; 

 d, from red- tailed hawk); e, T. linearis, X2000 (Kirby). 



human Trichomonas, a number of workers maintain that they may 

 be one and the same species. Dobell (1934) inoculated a rich culture 

 of Trichomonas obtained from his stools into the vagina of a monkey 

 (Macacus rhesus) and obtained a positive infection which was easily 

 proven by culture, but unsatisfactorily by microscopical examina- 

 tion of smears. The infection thus produced lasted over three years 

 and did not bring about any ill effect on the monkey. He considers 

 that T. vaginalis and T. hominis are synonyms and that there occur 

 diverse strains different in minor morphological characters and phys- 

 iological properties. Andrews (1929) noted the organism obtained 

 from vaginal secretion was larger than T. hominis and its undulating 

 membrane extended for 1/2 or 2/3 the body length, but when cul- 

 tured in vitro, the organisms became smaller in size and the undu- 

 lating membrane protruded beyond the body as a free flagellum. On 

 the other hand, Stabler and his co-workers (1941, 1942) failed to ob- 

 tain infections in volunteers by inoculating intravaginally with cul- 



