1899] MICHOSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 246 



Some additional cases of trichinosis have been report- 

 ed during the year, and in every case an enormous in- 

 crease in the number of eosinophil cells has been noted ; 

 in fact, it was in some instances, this increase that led to 

 the diagnosis. It may now be laid down as a dictum that 

 in every case with irregular fever and pains in the mus- 

 cles a differential count of the white cells should be made 

 and when a very large increase of the eosinophil cells is 

 found, a diagnosis can be made. This disease has un- 

 doudtedly in the past been frequently overlooked,and this 

 new symptom should greatly minimize the number of un- 

 diagnosed cases. 



The literature of the year on the Widal reaction has 

 brought forth no fresh knowledge, but the statistics ad- 

 vanced cannot fail to increase our confidence in the reac- 

 tion as a diagnostic aid, and although a certain propor- 

 tion of cases do not show the reaction, the consensus of 

 the year's opinion from clinicians remains as before, 

 namely, that if the test be made by a thoroughly compe- 

 tent and careful bacteriologist, the reaction, when present, 

 is diagnostic. This is especially certain if the test be 

 made with the serum and the dilution be not less than 

 one to fifty. 



The principals of this reaction have been applied by 

 Spronck to the diagnosis of leprosy. Cultures of the 

 lepra bacillus were obtained by inoculating neutralized 

 potato with glycerin, with the leprous tissue, and trans- 

 planting the resulting growth onto Loeffler's gelatin horse 

 serum. Cultivations, as thus carried on, somewhat alter- 

 ed the appearance of the bacillu§, causing it to assume 

 the appearance of the diphtheria bacillus rather than that 

 of the bacillus of tuberculosis. The modified bacillus did 

 not grow on meat bouillon, but flourished in fish bouillon. 

 The serum of leprous patients readily agglutinates young 

 cultures, whether grown on fish bouillon or on horse ser- 

 um gelatin, and emulsified. The dilution is one to sixty, 



