58 H. B. FANTHAM. 
SuMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 
The new features and main conclusions of the memoir may 
be summarised seriatim thus: 
1. In studying such minute and attenuate organisms as 
Spirocheetes it is most necessary to observe them as far as 
possible in their natural media, and especially to study their 
movements. 
2. A knowledge of their movements, together with that of 
their structure as revealed by stained preparations, should 
determine whether the organism in question is a Spirillum or 
a Spirochete. The dispute as to the generic position of the 
pathogenic organism of relapsing fever, S. obermeieri, 
seems to me rather futile unless its movements and structure 
are carefully correlated. 
It is not sufficient to rely on stained preparations alone. 
3. For organisms like 8. balbianii and 8. anodontex 
fixation is best done wet by means of osmic vapour. 
4. The motion of these two Spirochetes in question 1s 
resolvable into at least two components: (i) a vibratory 
motion of flexion of the body mainly for progression, and 
(ii) a spiral or corkscrew movement of the body as a whole, 
due to the winding of the membrane. The corkscrew motion 
is especially well seen in 8. anodonte, which has pointed 
ends. 
5. The membrane consists of a spirally wound lateral 
extension of the ectoplasmic periplast. It is a characteristic 
feature of the genus Spirocheeta, as now defined. It is com- 
posed of approximately longitudinally arranged fibrille, the 
“ myoneme fibrille.’’ ‘The border of the membrane is thick- 
ened, and stains well with chromatin stains. This thickened 
chromatic edge probably acts as a strong myoneme. 
6. This structure is a membrane and not a sheath (see 
pp. 30, 31). Its fibrillar nature is best shown with gentian- 
violet or iron-hematoxylin. It is not so well revealed by 
Romanowsky stains. 
7. The membrane does not markedly painter It is the 
