PARASITIC AMOEBAE OF MAN. 



Paramoeba hominis was accompanied by symptoms of 

 a severe diarrhoea, alternating with periods of con- 

 stipation. In five of the patients the f eces contained 

 a small amount of blood and mucus, while in two 

 Trichomonas hominis was present in small numbers. 

 It will thus be seen that in eight of the cases Para- 

 mceba hominis was the only protozoon present which 

 could be looked on as of possible etiological signifi- 

 cance, the two patients showing trichomonads having 

 them in too small numbers to suggest any relation 

 between them and the symptoms present. Treatment 

 by irrigation of the bowel resulted in the disappear- 

 ance of the parasites, and, with them, of the diarrhoea, 

 and none of the patients have relapsed, so far as I 

 have been able to determine. Thus the clinical evi- 

 dence points to Paramceba hominis as the cause of 

 the diarrhoea, and I believe that we may safely regard 

 this parasite as belonging to the pathogenic protozoa. 

 Differential Diagnosis. In the amoebic stage of 

 development Paramceba hominis might be confused 

 with Entamceba coli, Entamceba histolytica, or Enta- 

 mceba tetragena. If it be remembered that the endo- 

 plasm of this species is more refractive than is the 

 ectoplasm, it will be easy to differentiate it from 

 other intestinal amoebae. However, the occurrence of 

 the peculiar cysts and of the flagellate stage of devel- 

 opment, at the same time, should enable one to diag- 



