AMCEBJE OF THE INTESTINAL TRACT. 81 



varying from 2 to 6 months, and other cases in which 

 death had occurred from other diseases and at autopsy 

 the intestine was found to present the usual lesions 

 of amoebic dysentery, although the patient had never 

 complained of symptoms of that disease. As regards 

 the first class of cases it may be said they are of no 

 scientific value as proof that the amoebae present in 

 the beginning were pathogenic, for the patients were 

 continually exposed to infection with Entamceba 

 liistolytica, in the intensely infected Philippine 

 Islands; as regards the latter class of cases it is 

 notorious that the Filipino frequently suffers from 

 diarrhoea, although he generally does not consider this 

 symptom of enough importance to mention when 

 questioned, and most of the instances reported have 

 been in Filipinos. After a long and extensive ex- 

 perience, acquired at the autopsy table, it is my 

 opinion that it is impossible for extensive ulcerative 

 lesions to occur in the intestine without producing 

 symptoms of dysentery which would attract the atten- 

 tion of the patient. In cases where the lesions are 

 localized in a small area the patient might pass a 

 small amount of mucus or blood without knowing it, 

 but such cases possess no value as proof of the non- 

 existence of a harmless amoeba, as both harmless and 

 pathogenic species might occur in such individuals. 

 Until it can be demonstrated that the lesions are the 



