DR. F. \V. MOTT'S PAPER 389 



spirochaete from the body, certainly points to its not 

 being active. The only certain proof that a person 

 who has had syphilis has been cured in the sense 

 of absence of the organism from the body is re- 

 infection. But re-infection of a person who has once 

 had syphilis is very rare. The majority therefore of 

 people who have once had syphilis, whether acquired 

 or congenital, have the organism still in their body ; 

 it may be in an active or latent form. If in active 

 form, it is multiplying in the lymph circulation and 

 the chemical toxins that it produces in its growth 

 and multiplication set up characteristic inflammatory 

 changes in the tissues. The administration of 

 mercury and arsenic in various forms and ways 

 stops the active development of the spirochaete, and 

 produces remission of the symptoms ; but the 

 organism still remains in a latent form. The blood 

 test shows the commencement of activity of the 

 organism, before the symptoms produced by inflam- 

 matory reactions have become sufficiently severe to 

 cause obvious signs and symptoms of disease; periodi- 

 cal examination of the blood is of great value therefore 

 as an indication for treatment. 



The discovery of the cause of syphilis in a proto- 

 zoal organism the Spirochceta pallida ; the experi- 

 mental inoculation of animals ; the introduction of 

 new remedies based upon experimental observation 

 by Ehrlich, followed by their application to the 

 human subject ; the introduction of the blood test 

 and its wide application as an indication for treat- 

 ment ; and lastly, direct observation of the spiro- 

 chaete in the brain affords the proof that the late 

 sequelae of syphilis, locomotor ataxy and general 

 paralysis of the insane, formerly regarded as para- 

 syphilis, are true syphilitic diseases. These great 

 advances in our knowledge show that medical science 

 is prepared to deal with this problem of national im- 

 portance. Sir Malcolm Morris, in the Lancet of 



