AND CONTENTS OF THE MOUTH. 175 



tothrlx buccalis of Robin \ of which, in the following section, we 

 will give our description in its principal biological phases. At 

 most, some doubt might be entertained- in regard to the Spirilla 

 or Spirochaeta, whether to hold them as a species, or belonging to 

 a distinct species ; but their relationship with Leptothrix was 

 recognised even by Zopf, who, on this point, wrote : " In certain 

 cases, the filaments (of Leptothrix), either on a given part or in all 

 their length, take a spiral shape, and the fragments of those fibres 

 form the Sptrillce, Vibriones, and SpirochcBtce,y ^' 



Miller himself in mentioning his studies, made in 1883 

 upon those of Zopf, also admitted the derivation of the Spiro- 

 chcetce of the human mouth from the twisted threads of Lepto- 

 thrix, of which he gave a representation of the fragments in the 

 figures 13 to 20 of his plate; and, in the description of the 

 branching filaments of Leptothrix gigantea of the pig (Figs. 6 to 8) 

 and of the sheep (Fig. 9 to 12), he represented by the side of 

 straight filaments other vibrionic and spirillic ones.t 



We have besides, by our observations, pointed out that the 

 Spirilla or SpirochcEta are constantly united with Leptothrix, even 

 in the infusion of potatoes and in stale water (in a warm atmo- 

 sphere). Later on, we shall see that they are also found in certain 

 urinary mucous flakes, always accompanied by vigorous fructifica- 

 tions of Leptothrix. 



f Pathogenic Fungi of the Mouth. 



We conclude this short extract by summing up the views given 

 by Miller in Chap. IX. of his work upon the experimental infec- 

 tions produced through the inoculation from certain microbes of 

 the mouth, or accidentally lodged in it. 



The author begins by reminding us that the venomous property 

 of saliva was long before known when, in 1873, Wright and 

 Senator used it for the purpose of inoculation with deadly result. 

 It was suspected that the poisonous effect depended upon a chemi- 

 cal cause. Moriggia and Marchiafava, in 1878, inoculated with 

 the saliva of children dead from rabies. The first who 



* Zopf, loc. cii., page 80. 

 t Miller, Article ^zV. 1883, pp. 223—24. 



