6 DISEASES DUE TO PROTOZOA 



The Leishmania are dealt with under the Leishmaniases. 



The Histoplasma capsulatum is a round or oval parasite enclosed 

 in a refractile capsule with an acentral nucleus and chromatic particles 

 causing an acute specific disease known as Histoplasmosis. The 

 parasite is found in the endothelial cells of capillaries and smrill blood- 

 vessels in the liver, spleen, lungs, intestine and lymphatic glands as 

 well as in the leucocytes. It causes an irregular fever characterized by 

 disseminated hyaline pseudogranulomata in the lungs, splenomegaly, 

 necrotic areas in the liver, ulceration of the large nnd small intestine, 

 severe ana?mia, and with it a marked leucopcenia. 



Dr. Darling discovered it at Panama in igo6. 



Nothing is known as to treatment. 



Babesia has not been found in man with the doubtful exception of 

 Babesia hominis in Spotted Fever of the Rocky Mountains (Manson, 



1903)- 



Sambon believes that Blackwater Fever is caused by a minute 



babesia. See " Blackwater Fever." 



The Plasmodidai pathogenic to man are dealt with under Malaria. 



Pathogenic Spiroch^etes are dealt with under Relapsing Fever. 



The Treponema pertenue under Frambocsia tropica. 

 (3) Sporozoa. 



(A) Telosporidia. 



Coccidium oviforme (Eimeria stieda?) occurring in the liver and 

 bile ducts of rabbits has been found five times in man. In these cases 

 there were : fever, enlarged liver and spleen, both of which contained 

 coccidia, the infection of the spleen being probably via the blood- 

 stream. 



H^mogregarines, in all probability, never occur in man. 



(B) Neosporidia. 



Sarcocystis tenell?e bubali is common in bufifalo meat in Ceylon, 

 the parasites being known as "milk nerves," which appear as white 

 patches lying amongst the muscle fibres of tlie tongue, larynx, 

 diaphragm and skeletal muscles. The ingestion of the spores may 

 cause : Irregular fever in man. 



S. lindemanni and S. muris have been described in man upon 

 several occasions. There are — Regular fever, myositis, sometimes 

 necrosis of muscle fibres. Spores may be found in the blood, and the 

 parasites should be searched for amongst the muscle fibres. 



They are found normally in warm-blooded animals. In them the 

 spore formation commences early and continues until a large size has 

 been attained. The spore has two coats, a number of fibrous sectors 

 dividing the spore, and remaining continuous with the inner coat. 



No human has died from the disease. 



