84 PARASITIC AMGEB^E OF MAN. 



the presence of Entamoeba coli. It is significant that 

 a smaller percentage of cases of disease show this 

 amoeba than of healthy individuals, which would ap- 

 pear to indicate that the parasite finds a more con- 

 genial environment for its development in the in- 

 testine of normal individuals. In all the cases in 

 which diarrhoea was not present a saline cathartic was 

 given before the examination, and in the patients in 

 whom diarrhoea was present the occurrence of dysen- 

 tery was excluded by the fact that they were under 

 observation for weeks or months, during which time 

 no dysenteric symptoms developed. 



Table I gives the results obtained in the 

 examination of 30 cases of various diagnosis, and 

 is representative of the class of cases examined. 



The occurrence of such a large number of in- 

 stances of infection with Entamoeba coli in patients 

 suffering from diseases other than dysentery is of 

 the greatest importance, especially in regions where 

 amoebic dysentery is endemic. The examination of 

 the feces of patients coming from such regions will, 

 in a considerable proportion of the cases, result in 

 the finding of this parasite, and an inexperienced 

 observer would probably regard it as Entamoeba 

 Mstolytica, and a diagnosis of amoebic dysentery 

 would be made. It is my belief that many prac- 

 titioners have made this mistake and that some 



