24 REVIEW — TROPICAL MEDICINE, ETC. 



Blood— Eogers' states that the count can be much shortened and simplified by enumerating only 



continued 250 leucocytes. This is done by counting backwards and forwards from edge to edge of the 

 best part of the blood film, avoiding the thick end and the "tag" end. He only counts 

 polynuclears, large mononuclears including transitional forms, lymphocytes and eosiuophiles. 

 He uses a 1/8-inch or Zeiss D objective and considers as large mononuclears only such 

 mononuclear cells as are as large as, or larger than, an average polynuclear, the smaller ones 

 being classed as lymphocytes. By this method he obtains reliable results. While for rough 

 and ready work for clinical purposes this is no doubt a very useful and rapid method, I'' have 

 pointed out that in accurate estimations the leucocyte classification adopted by Button and 

 Todd seems to be the best, and that it is necessary to have some generally employed 

 classification for comparative purposes. 



The error of a haemocytometer count and the method of correcting the same is 

 discussed by Student''* and noted in the epitome of the British Medical Journal.^ It need 

 not be discussed here but the reference may be found useful. 



Horrocks and HowelP describe and illustrate some curious X-bodies which they found 

 in Spain in the blood of patients suffering from an ill-defined form of fever and in cattle 

 which were not healthy. 



As in the blood of a sick dog in Khartoum, examined by Mr. Archibald, I have seen 

 bodies exactly like some of these described, and, as the condition may yet prove to be an 

 important one, I quote their description of the bodies stained by Leishman's method : — 



The bodies, when stained, were characterised by a faint capsule with a circular centre staining deep blue ; 

 they varied in size, some being as large as a red corpuscle, others only about one-eighth the size of a red corpuscle. 

 In addition to these forms, which were the most common, the following were also seen : 



(a) A small, blue circular centre surrounded by four or more faiut capsules concentrically arranged ; (i) two 

 circular bodies, each having a dark blue central point surrounded by a light blue ring, enveloped in one capsule 

 which appeared indented as if two capsules were in process of formation; (c) similar to (b), but the part 

 surrounding the deep blue centre stained a deeper blue, and two indented capsules were seen ; (ri) a dark blue 

 central part, shaped like a crescent, containing a small circular body, with a deep blue central point within the 

 arms of the orescent. None of the bodies on the slide showed any signs of chromatin. 



Intravenous inoculation of a rabbit gave positive results. 



The authors were unable to pronounce on the precise nature of these bodies, which, 

 however, proved not to be acid fats. In fresh blood the bodies showed no amusboid 

 movement. 



Bubo. A case of climatic bubo in Uganda is described by Castellani." Blood and 

 bacteriological examinations were negative. He mentions that the disease occurs chiefly on 

 the east coast of Africa, the West Indies and Straits of Malacca and China. It has not 

 been recorded from Central Africa. 



Cantlie and Hewlett' discuss the relation of climatic bubo to plague. Cantlie named 

 it pestis minor, although pus from the affected glands proved sterile. Cantlie and Hewlett 

 record a case where three bacteria were grown from the excised gland, i.e. Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes albus, litaphylococcus cereiis albiis, and a minute bacillus staining by Gram's method and 

 curdling milk. The last-named was non-pathogenic to guinea pigs and mice, and corresponded 

 to a micro-organism isolated by Kitasato from a case of plague. Simpson stated that 

 climatic bubo seemed to bridge over the true plague epidemics. Wright looked upon the 

 disease as distinct from plague, while Emery regarded the organism in question as possibly 

 the acne bacillus of Sahouraud, which might have reached the glands from the skin. 

 Clayton* reports four cases in which he performed blood examinations, finding in two of 



' Rogers, L., "Fevers in the Tropics." London, 1908. 



^ Balfour, A. (April 1st, 1907), " Notes on the Differential Leucocyte Count, with Special Reference to 

 Dengue Fever." Journal of Tropical Medicine, p. 113. 



3 Student, " Biomelrika," Vol. V., part III., pp. 351-360. 



■♦ British Medical Journal, p. 154, Vol. II., January 18th, 1908, " The Error of a Hsemocytometer." 



' Horrocks, W. H., and Howell, H. A. L. (April, 1908), "X-bodies found in the Blood of Human Beings and 

 Animals." Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Vol. X., No. 4. 



" Caatellani, A. (December 15th, 1903), " Climatic Bubo in Uganda." Journal of Trojiical Medicine, p. 379. 



' Cantlie, I., and Hewlett, R. P. (April 4th, 1904), "Bacteriology of Climatic Bubo." British Medical 

 Journal, p. 593, Vol. I. 



« Clavton, T. H. A. (.January 2nd, 1905), "Notes on Climatic Bubo." Journal of Tropical Medicine, 

 p. 1, Vol. VIII. 



• Article not consulted in the original. 



