108 THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



In the Old World the disease occurs in India, Persia, Arabia and 

 Transcaucasia. It is also known in Algeria, Northern Nigeria, Egypt, 

 Sudan, Crete, Calabria, Sicily and Greece. 



The boils often occur on the face, and before ulceration the 

 parasites may be found in the cells at the margin and floor of the 

 " button." In searching for parasites the scab should be removed and 

 scrapings made from the floor and edges. Where lesions occur 

 atrophy of the epidermis takes place, and infiltration of mononuclear 

 cells (e.g., plasma cells, lymphoid and endothelial cells) follows. 

 The parasites are intracellular, being found inside mononuclear cells. 

 In non-ulcerating sores, Cardamitis found some free parasites. Non- 

 ulcerating forms are said to occur in the Sudan. In the Old World 

 the sores are often limited to exposed surfaces of the body. Infection 

 of mucous membranes (such as the lip, palate, buccal and nasal 

 membranes) may occur, especially in South America, and are often 

 known there as " Espundia." Christopherson (1914) has recorded a 

 case in Khartoum. 



Leishmania tropica is equally well cultivated on Novy-MacNeal- 

 Nicolle medium or on citrated blood. The usual temperature for 

 cultivation is 22 to 28 C., though Marzinowski claims to have 

 cultivated the parasite at 37 C. L. tropica can be inoculated 

 into monkeys and dogs, with the production of local lesions. 

 Material from a human sore or flagellates from a culture may be thus 

 successfully inoculated. Also infected material may be rubbed 

 directly into a scarified surface. The incubation period is long, 

 extending over several months. The duration of the disease may be 

 from twelve to eighteen months. Recovery from one attack of tropical 

 sore confers immunity, and the Jews in Bagdad inoculate their children 

 with the disease on a part of the body which will be covered, and 

 so secure immunity in adult life. 



The mode of transmission of L. tropica is unknown. Wenyon 

 (191 1) 1 has found that the parasite develops into the flagellate stage 

 in the digestive tract of Stegomyia fasciata in Bagdad. Patton (191 2) 2 

 has found similar development in the bed-bug in Cambay. The 

 house-fly, Phlebototnus and Simulium have been suspected as trans- 

 mitters in different parts of the world. 



An interesting announcement has been made recently (May, 1913), 

 that Neligan has found that L. tropica occurs in dogs in Teheran, 

 Persia, producing ulcers on the dogs' faces (cf. natural occurrence of 

 L. infantum in dogs see p. no). Yakimoff and Schokhor (i9i4), 3 

 have found the disease in dogs in Tashkent. 



Gonder 4 (1913) has performed some interesting experiments 



1 Parasitology, iv, p. 387. 2 Sci. Mem. Govt. India, No. 50. 



3 Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., vii, p. 186: 4 Arch. f. Schiffs- u. Trap.. Hyg., xvii, p. 397. 



