658 FAMILY: TRICHOMONADIDiE 



The Tricliomonas of the mouth was maintained in culture for a short 

 time by Lynch (1915a) by means of the method used by him for culture 

 of T. liominis. The results with subculture were not entirely satisfactory. 

 Ohira and Noguchi (1917) were more successful. They employ a mixture 

 of equal parts of ascitic fluid and Ringer's solution. By making sub- 

 cultures every day large numbers of organisms were obtained. The usual 

 forms measured 10 to 15 microns by 4 to 8 microns, and possessed four 

 flagella. Occasionally, larger forms up to 25 by 12 microns occurred. 

 Multiple division forms, in which four, six, or eight individuals separated 

 from the large body, were also seen (see p. 652). 



Trichomonas vaginalis Donne, 1837. — This species, which was first 

 seen by Donne (1837), is of fairly frequent occurrence in cases of vaginitis, 

 in which the exudate has an acid reaction (Fig. 270). It has been studied 

 especially by Blochmann (1884), Kunstler (1884), Bensen (1900), Lynch 

 (1915a), Reuling (1921), and Hegner (1925). Bensen gives its measure- 

 ments as varying from 18 by 6 microns to 26 by 16 microns. Some forms 

 are narrow and elongate, while others are almost spherical. Bensen 

 erroneously concluded that there were three anterior flagella, and also 

 failed to note the axostyle. In a case studied by Lynch (1915a), Triclio- 

 monas was present, not only in the vagina, but also in the mouth. The 

 oral forms are described as possessing four flagella, and what is evidently 

 an axostyle was seen protruding from the posterior extremity. This 

 organ was more definitely seen by Kunstler. Lynch states that the 

 vaginal forms were the same in every respect as those in the mouth, and 

 he concludes that the two are identical. It is interesting to note that 

 he found no flagellates in the faeces. Reuling gives the measurements of 

 T. vaginalis as 10 to 30 microns by 10 to 15 microns, and Hegner 7 to 21 

 microns by 6 to 18 microns. The undulating membrane, with its sup- 

 porting fibre and attached axoneme, extended for only a third, or at most 

 half, the length of the body. A definite axostyle was present, but in 

 some cases Reuling found in its place four separate fibres (Fig. 27). Both 

 Reuling and Hegner describe four anterior flagella. 



A series measured in the living condition by the writer gave the 

 following dimensions in microns: 29-5 by 19-2, 21-6 by 18-5, 20-0 by 16-5, 

 18-0 by 18-0, 18-0 by 12-6, 16-0 by 14-5, 14-5 by 9-0, 12-6 by 9-0, 11-0 by 10-0. 

 In the infections studied, the majority of forms had four flagella (Fig. 270). 

 Some, however, had only three, while a few which were not evidently 

 dividing forms had five. There was a definite axostyle extending from 

 the region of the nucleus to the posterior end, through which it projected. 

 In many of the largest forms this structure was completely obscured. 

 The undulating membrane extended in the larger spherical forms for only 

 about half the length of the body, but in the smaller ones it was as long as 



