86 HUMAN INTESTINAL PROTOZOA IN THE NEAR EAST 



In one instance a large blastocystis infection developed in a case 

 which was being controlled for E. coli. It was noted that though 

 blastocystis were present it was only in small numbers. At one 

 period these increased in numbers and there suddenly developed an 

 acute diarrhoea, the stool then containing enormous numbers of 

 dividing blastocystis. After the attack was over the blastocystis 

 were reduced to their original small number. 



The fact detailed above would suggest a possible pathogenicity 

 for blastocystis when present in any quantity, but one has to be 

 cautious in coming to such a conclusion, for all other factors must 

 first be eliminated. For instance, in certain cases of undoubted 

 bacillary dysentery the blastocystis have been very numerous in the 

 stool while, large infections may be met with in perfectly healthy 

 individuals. 



(20) WasJcia intestinalis. 

 (Plate IV.) * 



The small flagellate for which we suggest the name Waskia 

 intestinalis was found in two cases in Alexandria and there is some 

 evidence that the second case became infected from the first while 

 in hospital. The first case was one of a man who was admitted 

 to hospital as a carrier of E. liistolytica. The flagellate was first 

 noted in the stool a week after his admission and was regularly 

 present for one and half months. Towards the end of this period 

 a tetramitus infection appeared, while the waskia infection became 

 smaller and finally disappeared. The flagellate infection had with- 

 stood a course of injections of twelve grains of emetin early on in 

 the observation. The second case was that of a man v/ho was 

 admitted to hospital also as a carrier of E. liistolytica. He was 

 passing the small type of E. histolytica cysts. On his admission 

 to hospital the cysts became reduced in numbers and finally 

 vanished from the stool, which was being carefully searched daily. 

 After a period of three weeks in hospital the patient suddenly 

 developed a large waskia infection, and it is interesting to note 

 that he was in the same ward as the first case and occupied the 

 next bed but one. It seems probable that the second case con- 

 tracted the infection from the first case, who was passing enormous 

 numbers of the encysted forms of waskia in the stool. The second 

 case still infected was discharged from hospital ten days after the 

 infection was detected. There v/as no evidence that the flagellate 



* See inset between pages 148 and 149. 



