502 H. B. FANTHAM. 



V. Note on Pjkoplasmosis in the White ]{at. 



As T am not a medical man I would crave indulgence for 

 deficiencies in tlie diagnosis or setting forth of symptoms in 

 the following outlines of piroplasmosis as exhibited by white 

 rats. 



These rodents, in whose blood P. muris was found, at 

 once attracted attention by the presence of pronounced ulcers 

 on the ears. There were also smaller sores on the tail, and 

 sometimes slight ones on bald patches on the body, and in 

 one case on slight swellings near the anus and the snout. 

 The bald patches, from which the fur had quite disappeared, 

 were variously distributed in the different rats ; there was a 

 marked patch devoid of fur on the necks of the rodents 

 examined. The body temperature of the rats, determined 

 per rectum, was at times above the normal (for example, 

 readings of 102° F. and 101-G° F. were obtained), and 

 indicated an irregular fever. After death in one case a 

 yellowish discoloration of the skin and some tissues was 

 noticed, apparently due to biliary fever. There was also 

 slight aneeraia, and a relative increase in the number of 

 leucocytes, with enlarged spleen. Before death the rats 

 became emaciated, and showed gradually increasing loss of 

 appetite. Some solid bile was found in the bile-ducts, and in 

 one case the urine was dark coloured (haemoglobinuria). 



From the comparatively long time two of the infected rats 

 lived while suffering from the disease (two to five months), 

 and the fewness of the parasites in the peripheral circula- 

 tion, the cases perhaps approached the chronic type. 



A few nucleated red cells occurred in the blood, but none 

 of these were noticed to be infected, while erythrocytes 

 containing many parasites were sometimes slightly enlarged 

 (that is, greater than 7^ in diameter), and when stained 

 were pale in colour, sometimes approaching a slight blue 

 tint after the use of Leishraan's stain. 



It has already been mentioned that the parasites were 



