LEPROSY BACILLUS. 317 



Giant-cells, such as are found in tuberculosis, are claimed 

 to have been observed by a few investigators (Boinet 

 and Borrel). In the interior of the skin tubercles the 

 hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat-glands are often 

 attacked, and bacilli have sometimes been found in 

 these (Unna, etc.). Quite young eruptions often con- 

 tain a few bacilli. A true caseation of the tubercles 

 does not occur, but ulceration results. 



In the anaesthetic forms of leprosy the bacilli are 

 found most commonly in the nerves and less frequently 

 in the skin. They have been demonstrated in the sym- 

 pathetic nervous system, in the spinal cord, and in the 

 brain. The bacillus leprae occurs also in the blood, 

 partly free and partly within the leucocytes, especially 

 during the febrile stage which precedes the breaking 

 out of fresh tubercles (Walters and Doutrelepont). The 

 bacilli have also been found in the intestines, in the 

 lungs, and in the sputum, but not in the urine. 



With regard to the question of the direct inheri- 

 tance of the disease from the mother to the unborn 

 child there is considerable difference of opinion. Some 

 cases have been reported, however, in which a direct 

 transmission of the bacillus during intra-uterine life 

 seems to have been the only or most plausible expla- 

 nation of the infection. At the same time, we have no 

 positive experimental evidence to prove that such an 

 infection does take place. Although many attempts 

 have been made to infect healthy individuals with 

 material containing the bacilli of leprosy, the results 

 are not conclusive. Even the experiments made by 

 Arning, who inoculated a condemned criminal in the 

 Sandwich Islands with fresh leprous tubercles, and 

 which has been generally regarded as positive evidence 



