AMCEBJE OF THE INTESTINAL TRACT. 107 



this way eight young amoeba? are produced. Schau- 

 dinn states that of the cysts voided with the feces 

 only from 10 to 20 per cent, undergo reproduction 

 in the manner described, and this agrees with my own 

 observations. Many preparations have to be studied 

 before the entire process of reproduction can be fol- 

 lowed, but sometimes one is so fortunate as to be able 

 to follow the entire development in a single individual. 



The process of reproduction within a cyst has to 

 be studied from living preparations entirely, as I have 

 not found any method of staining the cysts nor have I 

 been successful with any method recommended by 

 other observers. 



CULTIVATION. I believe that it may be stated 

 with truth that Entamoeba coli has never been arti- 

 ficially cultivated. I have used all the methods which 

 have been recommended for this purpose, but with- 

 out success. 



RELATION TO DISEASE. The wide distribution of 

 this parasite in both healthy individuals and those 

 suffering from diseases other than dysentery; the fact 

 that scores of cases have been observed in which the 

 parasites have been constantly present for months and 

 even years without producing symptoms of diarrhoea 

 or dysentery; and the negative results obtained by 

 animal experiments, all definitely prove that Enta- 

 moeba coli is not a pathogenic species. It may be of 



