726 



THE SPIROCHJETE OF SYPHILIS 



the parasite. They number from six to twelve, though occasionally as 

 many as twenty-six have been seen. At each end there is a filament like a 



bacterial flagellum which may be about 

 one-half the length of the body : these 

 filaments proceed by insensible grada- 

 tions from the body of the organism of 

 which they seem to be a gradually 

 vanishing prolongation. 



An undulating membrane is never 

 seen. 



Some treponemata appear broader than 

 the normal with a bifurcated end and 

 two flagella (fig. 345) ; many of these 

 have a Y-shape others that of a V. 



Occasionally two treponemata are seen 

 attached by their anterior and posterior 

 ends, but separated intermediately, so 

 as to give the appearance of an elon- 

 gated, irregularly-shaped 0. Such forms 

 are said to represent stages in the 

 longitudinal division of the organism 

 (Schaudinn, Prowazek, and others). 

 Goldhorn, Zettnow, Levaditi are, however, of opinion that the treponema 

 divides transversely and that the forms just described are due to two 

 organisms becoming connected together by their ciliary prolongations or at 

 some point on their bodies. 



FIG. 345. Treponema pallidum. a, b, 

 normal forms; c, d, e, 0, Y and F-shaped 

 forms ; f, three treponemata attached end to 

 end. 



FIG. 346. Treponema pallidum. Congenital syphilitic liver. Giemsa's 

 stain, x 4000. (From the Bulletin de I'Institut Pasteur.) 



2. Staining 1 methods. 



The Treponema pallidum stains with difficulty and never other than very 

 lightly, hence the names Spirochceta pallida and Treponema pallidum. The 

 organism is gram-negative. 



Special methods of staining have to be adopted, and it may be convenient 

 to record those which are likely to be most generally met with in works 

 on syphilis, and to specify those of them which appear to be the most 

 useful. 



