132 HUMAN INTESTINAL PROTOZOA IN THE NEAR EAST 



terebinth, but reappeared afterwards. It is thus manifestly 

 impossible to tell if the turpentine was or was not responsible for 

 the disappearance of trichomonas in the first case or for its 

 temporary disappearance in the second. 



Bismuth Salicylate. This drug has been given in doses of 

 twenty grains three times a day to cases of trichomonas infection, 

 but the results we have obtained are as indefinite as with the 

 other treatment employed. 



(6) Treatment of Coccidial Infections. 



As we have stated above, only one case of this infection 

 (Isospora) was encountered by us in Egypt. This was in a carrier 

 case of E. histolytica, and as we have already explained, one grain 

 of emetin subcutaneously administered for twelve days failed to 

 effect a cure of either the E. histolytica or coccidial infection, 

 whereas a second course of emetin, one-grain injection and ^ grain 

 by the mouth, caused both infections to disappear and no relapse 

 occurred. If we may judge from this single case, it may be 

 assumed that emetin had some action in getting rid of the coccidial 

 infection. 



(7) Treatment of I-cyst Infections. 



Several of the cases of E. histolytica infection have had I-cysts 

 present also, so that we have been able to note the action of emetin 

 on these. Both emetin injections (one grain a day) and emetin by 

 the mouth appear to cause the I-cysts to disappear from the stool. 

 We have not followed any single untreated I-cyst infection for long, 

 so we cannot be quite sure that the disappearance was not accidental, 

 but under the emetin treatment the I-cysts vanish after the second 

 or third day of the course and they do not recur during the 

 subsequent control of the case. It seems reasonable to assume 

 that the emetin was the cause of their vanishing. As, however, we 

 know nothing of the behaviour of I-cysts in the intestine and as 

 they do not appear to be pathogenic in any way unless their 

 occasional presence in large numbers in the faeces of sick people 

 is a sufficient argument in favour of pathogenicity the question of 

 the treatment is not one of practical importance. 



(8) Treatment of Blastocystis Infections. 



We have no definite information to offer as regards the action 

 of drugs on blastocystis. Emetin by the mouth combined with 

 injections has the power of clearing away all protozoal infections 

 of the gut, and with these vanish, as a rule, the blastocystis 

 infection as well. 



