DISEASES CAUSED BY SPIROCH^TES 849 



found in smegma, the Treponema microdentium and macrodentium, 

 found in the mouth, especially under the gums, and in the throat. 



Among the Spironema in this main group Noguchi places the 

 Spironema refringcns 8 of smegma, the Spironema vincenti of Vincent's 

 angina, the Spironema recurrent^ of Obermeier, 9 the Spironema 

 Duttoni, 10 the Spironema Kochi, the Spironema gallinarum and the 

 Spironema Novyi. 



III. Leptospira. The types of this class are the Leptospira ictero 

 hcemorrJiagice of Inada and Ido and the Leptospira icteroidis recently 

 isolated by Noguchi from cases of yellow fever, and probably repre- 

 senting the etiological factor of that disease. These organisms are 

 much more easily cultivated than the preceding. They are char- 

 acterized by closely set regular spirals which remain unchanged 

 during a peculiar rotary spinning motion. As described by Noguchi 

 these organisms, while in motion, draw the entire body together 

 into a straight line, except fcfr a hook formation of one or both ends. 

 When one end is extended and straight and the other semicircularly 

 hooked, the organism progresses in the sUree'tibn of the straight 

 portion, appearing to be propelled from the rear by the rotary hook. 

 A specimen with both ends hooked remains stationary in spite of 

 its rapid rotary motions. This description is taken verbatim from 

 Noguchi. In this sort of movement the body assumes wide wavy 

 undulations. So far no terminal or peritrichal flagella have been 

 seen. 



SYPHILIS AND SPIROCHJETA PALLIDA 



(Treponema pallidum) 



The peculiar manifestations of syphilis, its mode of transmission, 

 and the fact that its primary lesion was always located at the point 

 of contact with a preceding case, have always stamped it as unques- 

 tionably infectious in nature. Until very recently the microorgan- 

 ism which gives rise to syphilis was unknown. Many bacteriologists 

 had studied the problem and many microorganisms for which 

 definite etiological importance was claimed had been described. 

 Most of these announcements, however, aroused little more than a 

 sensational interest and received no satisfactory confirmation. A 



8 Schaudinn and Hoffmann, Arb. a. d. w. Gesundhst., 22, 1905. 

 8 Obermeier, Cent, f . d. med. Wiss., 11, 1873. 

 10 Button and Todd, Brit. Med. Jour., 1905. 



