SPIKOCHalTOSIS OF SUDANESE FOWLS 87 



I fear I cauuot answer these questions, but proceed to give illustrations. Unless 

 otherwise stated, all inoculations were made subcutaneously. 



Examples : Experiments 



Chicks c and d, clean birds, were inoculated on Pubruary 18, 1909, from a case of acute, hut not very 

 severe, naturally acquired spirochsetosis in a fowl. On February 20, chick c showed bodies only, and, on the 

 following day, chick d followed suit. The bodies increased in nuuiljer but at no time was the infection in 

 either bird severe. Chick c, which showed the most Ijodies, was chloroformed on March 8 and its liver 

 examined by the Lcvaditi-Manouelian method but no spirochfetes were found. Chick '/ continued to show 

 bodies for a time but they gradually lessened, and, by March 20, had entirely disappeared from the blood. 

 In neither case was there any marked illness. 



I'hiel:, clean bird. Inoculated ou May 2.0 with infected tick tissue (vide infra). On the following day 

 bodies only found in very considerable numbers (there had been no sign of them in the preliminary 

 examination). On May 29, spirocha;tes also were found in the blood. An increase had taken place in the 

 numl>er of bodies. 



Mai; 30. Increase in the number of spirochaetes. Bodies apparently not so numerous as j'csterday. 



Jfiij/ 31. No bodies found even after prolonged search. Spirochtetes fairly numerous. Tangles forming, 

 indicating the crisis. 



June 1. No spirochaetes. A few bodies. 



June 3. As above. 



June 5. A few spii'ochaites and a few bodies found. 



June 0. Large numljers of spirochaetes. Tangles again forming. No bodies seen. 



June 7. As above. 



June 8. No spirocheetes. Bodies present and showing so-called " spore " forms. 



June y til 13. As above. 



June 14. Bird died. Nothing special found post mortem. Section of the liver, spleen and lung were 

 examined by the Levaditi-Volpino method, but no spirochaetes were found. Unfortunately the presence or 

 absence of granules was not noted. 



This w-as a most interesting case, and, I am bound to say, suggests a close relationshijs 

 between the spirochtetes and the inclusions. The alternating presence and absence of the 

 latter is, I think, also suggestive in this direction, as is their increase and decrease shown 

 both in this and other cases [vide infra). 



(ft) In chicks, relapses are common, and the disease therefore approaches mammalian 

 spirochaetosis in type. Spirochtetes vanish from the perii^heral blood, which niay then be 

 quite free or may show bodies. Then, the intra-corpuscular bodies, if present, still 

 persisting, the spirochaetes recur. This may happen on several occasions. 

 Examples : 



Chick X. Clean bird. Mai/ 12, 1909. Inoculated with spirochastal blood from another chick. No bodies 

 present in blood used for inoculation. 



May 14. Infected. Spirochaetes only. 



May 15. Slight increase in number of spirochaetes. 



May 16. Spirochetes apparently comj^letely absent and remained so till 



May 18, when they recurred. 



May 20. Spirochtetes fairly numerous. Chick ill. 



May 21. Found dead. Spirochaetes present in hearfs blood. Liver shows a few greenish-yellow spots. 

 Microscopically, there was cloudy swelling and the spots were found to be necrotic areas. 



Chick V. Bird showing some bodies in the blood prior to inoculation (vide r and d). Were these true 

 bodies of the " after phase " '? Apparently so. 



May 8, 1909. Inoculated with blood from chick showing both spirochaetes and bodies. 



May 9. Both spirochetes and bodies present. JIany of the latter very small. 



May 10. Enormous number of spirochfetes present. Bodies as above. Bird not very ill. 



May 11. As above, but tangles numerous to-day. Some of the leucocytes show large, more or less 

 spherical, rose-pink (with Leishmau stain) masses in their extra-nuclear portions, the significance of which 

 I am at a loss to understand. Granular white cells, suggesting myelocytes in all but size are present. 



May 12. As above. 



May 13. Entire absence of spirochaetes. Bodies about the same. 



May 14. As above. 



May 15. Kecurrence of spirochaetes. Considerable number and tangles. Bodies also increased in number. 

 Multiple infection common. The suggestion is that the spirochetes are now entering the corpuscles, but this 

 was not actually observed. In the fresh blood, motility of what, at the time, were thought to be genuine 

 bodies was observed. In stained tilms, " spore " forms found. One corpuscle seen with a gap in it and, hard 

 by, 15 small chromatin granules observed which may well be sjjores. (Plate III., fig. 3.) 



A few, though each is distinct, are united, the majority are free. Possibly, some of the very tiny bodies 

 in the corpuscles are spores which had re-entered the red cells. This would account for change's in the size 

 of the bodies which may undergo schizogonic development from the merozoite stage. 



