182 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 30i. Cholera organism. Microspira 

 comma. From the margin of a drop of broth 

 containing pure culture of the Spirillum, a. 

 Long spiral filaments. All x. 600. After 

 Fliigge. 



Pathogenesis. It is essentially an intestinal disease, the organism living 

 within the intestines. The characteristic lesions are produced through the 

 absorption of the poisonous matters there produced. Large and small intestines 

 deeply congested, diarrhoea, Peyer's patches and glands swollen, eventually 

 mucosal necrosis in part. Ulcers eventually form, though perforations are rare. 

 The parenchymatous organs show marked signs of degeneration; the vascular 

 system, the nervous and respiratory systems show no characteristic lesions. 



Poisonous properties. The essential poison is intracellular, undoubtedly an 

 endotoxin. It is found in the filtrate of old cultures and in solution of bacterial 

 cells. 



Immunity. Produced by considerable quantities of bacteriolysins and prob- 

 ably opsonins. Agglutinins are also produced. Vaccination with killed or at- 

 tenuated cultures has proven fairly successful, but not the use of the blood 

 serum of immunized individuals as a curative or a prophylactic agent. 



SPIRILLACEAE 



Spirochaeta pallida 



Disease produced. Syphilis. 

 Animals infected. Man and ape. 

 Animals immune. Other animals. 

 Pathogenesis. Produces primary lesions in form of ulcers at the point of 

 inoculation, second as gummata in the parenchymatous organs. 

 Poisonous properties. Not known. 

 Immunity. Not well understood. 



Spirochaeta anserina, Sakharoff 



Disease produced. Goose septicemia. 



Animals infected. Goose. 



Animals susceptible. 



Pathogenesis. Producing septicemia. 



Immunity. 



Spirochaeta Obermeicri, Cohn 



Disease produced. Relapsing fever. 



Animals infected. Man. 



Animals immune. Mouse, rabbit, sheep, and hog. 



Pathogenesis. Produces relapsing fever in man. 



Immunity. 



