THE .MYXOSI'ORIDIA, OR PSORO.SPKU.MS OF FISHES. 267 



89. Ciiloromyxum (,Sphasrospoia) ohlmaclieii <;m lev, isn;!. I'l. 10, tijj, <'•;; pi. 11, 



figs. 1-3. 

 (Myxosporidia ol' lliij'o Iciitiijino'^iin Shaw, Oliliiiachcr. IX'i;;, .loiirn. Aincr. Med. 



Assoo., XX, pp. 561-7. plate, liii's. 1-4.) 

 C'hloroiii!/xiim nhlmtU'hen, in Wliiiicry, N. Y. Med. .lonrn., i.viii, pp. ()i)()-(i62, 



tiouio. 



Cyst unknown. 



Myxosporidium. — No inyxosporldium could be detected. From tliis 

 Ohlmaclier concludes tluit: 



It is probable that, iu this case, the parasite did not reach its adult condition in 

 its batrachiau host, but here mily passed one stage of its existence, that is, the spore 

 stage. 



Spore. — Transversely elliptic, about (I // long and S // broad. Shell 

 bivalve, valve -J unction plane perpendicular to the longer axis of 

 tlie spore; staining with gentian violet (Gianrs method); exhibiting 

 a vrell-deiined undulate-parallel longitudinal striation, the optical 

 expression of the spiral-coil structure of the sbell, liidge present, 

 marking the line of junction of the valves. ISTo loosened band (appar- 

 ently springing, like a. loosened barrel hoop, from the uniting edges of 

 the spore- valves), such as Lutz descriljes, could be demonstrated. 

 Relative to the arrangetnent of the si)ore contents, Olilmacher says: 

 On the side of the pole corpuscles opposite the plasmatic body the vacuole 

 occurred. This space was unstained in specimens iu which the excess of stain had 

 been washed out; but in overstained si)ore3 the vanude retained the dye, though 

 not so strongly as the pole corpuscles and the plasmatic body. 



Interpreted in connection with the orientation of the spore, this may 

 be construed to mean that the contents of the shell cavity consist (from 

 before backward), lirst, of a clear, nonstaining space (part of the peri- 

 cystic space, and of course not to be confounded with the vacuole, which 

 is intra-sporoplasniic); next, the capsules, a)id last (and most [)Oste- 

 rior), the si)oroi)lasm.^ 



Cai)sules: Lying side by side, 2, occasionally only 1, a condition 

 exi)licable, at least in part, Ohlniaclu'r thinks, as spore mutilation in the 

 technique; length, 3 to 3o //; staining briglit red, but showing no evi- 

 dence of structure with Pfitzner's alcoholic safranin. Kelative to their 

 position, Ohbnacher remarks that — 



The situation of these jiolar corpuscles ou the sid(! of the spore is ]K^uliar, .ind in 

 this n-sjirct our uiyxosporidia differ froai those thus far described. 



As slu)wn below, tliis view is due to a nonorientation of the s])t)re. 



In s;ifrauin preparations the bright red cai)sules were frequently 

 observed outside of tlie spores in the tissue of the kidney. \\'hether 

 these extra-sporal capsules had migrated during life or had been dis- 

 placed by the technique, it is, Oldmacher says, impossible to assert 

 positively. He continues: 



I am of the oi)iniou, however, that the migration of tin- pole corpuscles is a natural 

 phenomenon in these o-rganisms, and that it has as much or more weight in the life 



.Snbsequent fxaniiiiation of thi' spore eontirnied this orientation. 



