DISEASES CAUSED BY SPIROCH^TES 



611 



and/' punched-out " appearance, so that clinically they have often been 

 erroneously diagnosed as syphilis. Apart from the localized pain, the 

 disease is usually mild, but occasionally moderate fever and systemic 

 disturbances have been observed. Unlike diphtheria and syphilis, this 

 peculiar form of angina usually yields, without difficulty, to local tre&t- 

 ment. 



The nature of lesions of this peculiar kind was not clear until Plaut, 1 



FIG. 136. SMEAR FROM THE THROAT OF A CASE OF VINCENT'S ANGINA. 



Gierasa Stain. 



Vincent, 2 and others reported uniform bacteriological findings in cases 

 of this description. These observers have been able to demonstrate 

 in smears from the lesions a spindle-shaped or fusiform bacillus, to- 

 gether with which there is usually found a spirillum not unlike the 

 spirillum of relapsing fever. The two microorganisms are almost 



1 Plaut, Deut. med. Woch., xlix, 1894. 



2 Vincent, Ann. de 1'inst. Pasteur, 1896, and Bull, et me'm. de la soc. m6d. des 

 hop. de P., 1898. 



