probability of that piace being an endemic 
centre of this form of Schistosomatosis; the 
docters of this island are unanimous in re- 
cognising the frequence of Sch. Mansoni, 
and the lack of eggs with terminal spine. 
Other cases, observed in the zone ofthe 
Panama Canal by ZEILER (1900), appear in 
the literature without information as to the 
zone of infection. Amongst these one case 
is mentioned where the two forms of eggs 
coexisted with the two forms of infection. 
If the case be authentic, I an inclined to 
consider it as an infection, imported from 
another continent. 
In the South-American continent, cases 
were reported from Dutch Guiana (FLU 
1908), Venezuela (BREM, JESUS RISQUEZ), 
Columbia (BATES) and Peru. According to 
a recent publication by JESUS RISQUEZ, it 
seems that the infection is very common in 
Venezuela, as he found it in 25 o/o of the 
autopsies made in Caracas, which means an 
intense focus. He also studied the pathologi- 
cal anatomy. 
In 1905 BLUMGART of New York ob- 
served Sch. Mansoni in a German, probably 
infected in Brazil, as he had lived in that 
country for 7 years. 
In 1908 and 1909 Dr. M. PIRAJÁ DA 
SILVA made a series of communications by 
which he proved the frequency of intestinal 
Schistosomatosis in Bahia. He tried to cha- 
racterize the parasite as a different species 
which he called Sch. americanum. He also des- 
cribed a cercaria foundin Bahia under the 
name of Cercaria Blanchardi. Subsequent 
studies showed that as well its general form, 
“as its host. a large Planorbis, agree with the 
supposition that he was dealing with the 
cercaria of Sch. M. JOHN MILLER and se- 
veral other writers also recorded observa- 
tions from Bahia. 
As for Rio de Janeiro Sch. eggs-with la- 
teral spines were found in stools by FARIA, 
in tumours of the rectum by VIANNA and 
in the pancreas by D’UTRA. Though these 
and other observations were made here, the 
anamnesis, when known, pointed to an infec- 
112 
tion in the states of the North of Brazil. The 
same may be said of many cases observed 
by PENNA and others where the eggs were 
discovered while looking for Necator eggs. 
The cases ocurred mostly in sailors and ma- 
rines who were infected before entering 
the schools, mostly be bathing in ponds contai- 
ning fresh water shells. Some of the infections 
had taken place many years ago. The pati- 
ents hailed from the states Bahia, Sergipe, 
Alagoas, Pernambuco, Parahyba and Rio 
Grande do Norte which are undoubtedly in- 
fected zones. To these we may add Goyaz 
where NEIVA, on one ocasion, observed cha- 
racteristic eggs. Infection prohably also exis- 
ted in a place in Ceará, in a swamp near 
Obidos and in a “lagoa” in Espirito Santo. 
The infection is so little characteristic, as to 
be recognised only when either a microsco- 
pical examination of the stools or a careful 
post mortem examination is performed. 
It is only due to the stool examinations, 
now commonly made for tue research of Ne- 
cator and Uncinaria, that the infection was 
discovered in so many new centres. The in- 
dispensable conditions for the existence of 
endemic centres are, on one side, a hot clí- 
mate, on the other, the presence ofa species 
of Planorbis which is apt to become an in- 
termediate host. In Brazil PI. olivaceus and 
at least two more species are easily infected, 
but they do not seem to exist in Rio de Ja- 
neiro or to the south of the city. 
In 1916 the institute sent one of its ser- 
vants, named THEOPHILO MARTINS, to 
Aracajú. He verified the infection in several 
persons who used to bathe in ponds where 
Planorbis olivaceus was common. Of these 
he brought a great lot which I used for in- 
fection. We also received specimens from our 
colleagues Drs. PIRAJÁ and OCTAVIO TOR. 
RES and used them for experimental infec- 
tion. In the last lot 1] found some naturally 
infected specimens which furnished living 
cercariae, 
Recent observations made in the North 
of Brazil. + 
A special commission was sent by this 
institute in the second semester of 1917, in 
