792 Syphilis 



This method was later improved by Levaditi and Mamou- 

 elian* by the addition of 10 per cent, of pyridin to the 

 silver bath just before the block of tissue is put in, and 

 by using for the reducing bath a mixture of pyrogallic 

 acid, acetone, and pyridin. The details are as follows: 

 Fragments of organs or tissues i to 2 mm. in thickness are 

 fixed for twenty-four to forty-eight hours in a solution of 

 formalin 10 : 100, then washed in 96 per cent, alcohol for 

 twelve to sixteen hours, then in distilled water until the 

 blocks fall to the bottom of the container. They are 

 then impregnated by immersion in a bath composed of 

 a i per cent, solution of nitrate of silver, to which, at the 

 moment of employment, 10 per cent, of pyridin is added. 

 Keep the blocks immersed in this solution at room temper- 

 ature for two or three hours, and at 50 C. for four or six 

 hours, then wash rapidly in a 10 per cent, solution of py- 

 ridin, and reduce in a bath composed of 4 per cent, pyro- 

 gallic acid, to which, at the moment of using, 10 per cent, of 

 pure acetone and 15 per cent, (total volume) of pyridin are 

 added. The reduction bath must be continued for several 

 hours, after which the tissue goes through 70 per cent, 

 alcohol, xylol, paraffin, and sections are cut. The sections, 

 fastened to the slide, are stained with Unna's blue or tolu- 

 idin blue, differentiated with glycerin-ether, and finally 

 mounted in Canada balsam. 



Burrif has recommended a simple and rapid method of 

 demonstrating the treponema and other similar organisms by 

 the use of India ink. A drop of juice is squeezed from a 

 chancre or mucous patch and mixed with a drop of India ink 

 and then spread upon a glass slide as in making a spread of 

 a drop of blood. As the ink dries it leaves a black or dark 

 brown field upon which the spiral organisms stand out as 

 shining, colorless, and hence conspicuous objects. Williams 

 uses Higgins' water-proof ink, and Hiss recommends "chin- 

 chin," Giinther- Wagner liquid pearl ink for the purpose. 



The method is fairly satisfactory for diagnosis and can be 

 applied in a few moments. 



Distribution. The Treponema pallidum is not known in 

 nature apart from the lesions of syphilis. It has now been 

 found in all the lesions of this disease and in the blood of 

 syphilitics in larger or smaller numbers. The discovery has 



* "Compt.-rendu de la Soc. de Biol. de Paris," 1906. LVIII, p. 134. 

 f "Wiener klin. Wochenschrift," July i, 1909. 



