ORIENTAL SORE 203 



more work is needed before a decisive opinion can 

 be given on this matter. 



Other workers have given attention to flies and 

 mosquitoes as the possible channels of infection, and 

 Franchini has done some work in this direction. He 

 used Anopheles ; but whereas he could induce the 

 development of the parasite within the mosquito's 

 gut, yet the results were not conclusive, as the insects 

 were fed on cultures of Kala-azar and not on animals. 

 What he has shown is that the parasite can live in 

 the gut of an A nopheles, which therefore is a possible 

 transmitter of infantile and canine Kala-azar. The 

 quest for the carrier, then, must still be pursued, as 

 with Indian Kala-azar. The recognition of the 

 occurrence of natural flagellates of the blood-sucking 

 insects, and their exclusion from the experiments, is 

 a matter of vital importance. The study of natural 

 flagellates in both blood-sucking and plant-feeding 

 insects thus assumes an importance that is infinitely 

 greater to-day than it was when the pioneer worker 

 on insect flagellates, Captain Patton, set forth the 

 idea some years ago. 



India is not afflicted with Kala-azar only. That 

 fearful disease is largely localized, though its dis- 

 tribution is increasing. But another disease, marked 

 by disfiguring sores on the skin, is known there 

 under the names of Oriental Sore, Cambay Boil, 

 Delhi Boil, and other local names. It is known else- 

 where, for instance, as "Clou de Gafsa" in Tunis, 

 and as " Aleppo Button " and " Bagdad Sore." 

 The organism incriminated is Leishmania tropica. 

 This disease produces peculiarly disfiguring scars, 



