LEPROSY (BACILLUS LEPR^E) 43 



cultures, though a measure of success seems to have 

 been obtained by Arning, in man, and by Melchor 

 and Orthman, in animals. 



The bacillus has been found in nearly every organ, 

 tissue, and secretion of lepers. Though occasionally, 

 during the leprotic fever, found in the blood, it is 

 chiefly spread by means of the lymphatics, and is 

 associated with and produces its chief lesions in the 

 connective tissues. The characteristic lesions pro- 

 duced are granulomata, but the true giant cell of 

 tubercle is rare. In the skin (Fig. 37), after a pre- 

 liminary stage of hypertrophy of the papillae, these 

 become flattened out and the tissue is the seat 

 of a considerable sclerosis. In this sclerosed tissue 

 islands of small-celled inflammatory growth occur, 

 and in those nodules large numbers of bacilli are 

 found both within the cells and in the intra-cellular 

 spaces. Besides the great number of bacilli, the 

 large " Lepra cells" constituting the circular, vacuo- 

 luted dark patches in the figure are highly charac- 

 teristic of the leprotic lesions. 



The origin of the lepra cells is still a subject 

 of dispute, and opinions differ as to whether they 

 are really cells crowded with bacilli or masses of 

 bacilli occupying lymphatics. Though the former 

 theory has not been disproved, there is a growing 



