204 



The results are given of various experiments in inoculation with 

 cultures of Leptomonas and Leishmania. It is known that the bed-bug, 

 Cimex lectularius, bites geckos freely, especially at high temperatures. 

 The authors have found in bed-bugs taken from geckos a few examples 

 of Leptomonas, but these do not seem to increase in number in the 

 gecko. A development of Leishmania tropica has been obtained in 

 Cimex lectularius, but the percentage of bugs that become infested 

 from cutaneous lesions is small, and apparently the flagellate continues 

 to survive in the insect without true development. It would be 

 interesting to discover whether the gecko is a suitable medium for 

 the development of leishmaniform bodies. 



In the district of south Tunisia where the authors have been working, 

 they have collected numbers of Phlebotomus papatasii, as well as a 

 few P. perniciosus and P. ininutus africanus. Generally speaking, 

 Phlebotomus seemed less abundant than at Metlaoui, which is a centre 

 for Oriental sore, and P. minutus africanus relatively scarcer than 

 P. papatasii, but this impression has not been verified by any 

 statistics. The abundance of Phlebotomus varies considerably 

 according to the locality. The flies do not travel far, and are seldom 

 found except in proximity to their breeding-places, that is, cesspools 

 that are in a condition to encourage their development. In other 

 words, the only way to obtain any exact idea of the abundance of 

 Phlebotomus in any locahty during the hot weather is to visit many 

 houses and inspect the cesspools in various quarters during the night 

 or early morning; which has as yet been impossible. Phlebotomus 

 minutus africanus is not the only species that attacks geckos ; at 

 Metlaoui. P. papatasii readily bites these lizards when afforded the 

 opportunity, even in the height of summer. No parasite develops in 

 their digestive tract, but the fact is recalled that a Leptomonas has 

 been observed at Aleppo to infect spontaneously Phlebotomus papatasii. 



In discussing the recorded facts, two statements seem to be in 

 contradiction ; the non-existence of the leishmaniform bodies of 

 Metlaoui in the geckos of a southern locahty free from Oriental 

 sore, and the frequent infection of geckos of the same locality by 

 Leptomonas of Biskra. This geographical discrepancy between the 

 two parasites suggests the idea that they are not identical. The 

 authors of the present paper are convinced that in the etiology of 

 Oriental sore the geographical element is an essential one, and do 

 not conceal their satisfaction at not having found the leishmaniform 

 bodies in a region free from Oriental sore. Another equally essential 

 element is that of the season. It appears obvious from investigations 

 that geckos are infected with Leptomonas all the year round. In 

 that case, it is to Phlebotomus only that the autumnal predominence 

 of Oriental sore is due. These midges, including P. minutus, occur 

 abundantly in southern Tunisia from the month of May until November. 

 Attention has been drawn by previous WTiters to the coincidence 

 between the beginning of hibernation of the gecko (September- 

 October), that is, the moment when Phlebotomus can attack them 

 most easily without having ceased to find nourishment from man, and 

 the appearance of cases of Oriental sore. But if this were the factor 

 determining their occurrence, it would be expected that an outbreak 

 of boils, at least as important as the autumn outbreak, would occur 

 at the beginning of the hot season, at the moment when Phlebotomus, 



