PHAGOCYTOSIS 195 



all the spirilla markedly changed and inoculation with this material 

 does not induce the disease. It is true that the serum of one in the 

 febrile stage of relapsing fever is markedly bactericidal to the spiril- 

 lum, but this is due to the destruction of the leukocytes and the pass- 

 ing of the enzyme into solution. There seems no doubt that recovery 

 from relapsing fever is due to phagocytic activity. 



Uhlenhuth found that phagocytosis is responsible for the sponta- 

 neous healing of experimental syphilis in rabbits. Like success is not 

 in evidence in this disease in man, although here also phagocytosis 

 seems to deserve credit for the healing of specific lesions so far as 

 they spontaneously occur. 



The fact that the plasmodia of malaria are engulfed by the phago- 

 cytes of the blood, spleen and liver is well known. Many of them are 

 undoubtedly destroyed in this process, but unfortunately many escape 

 to multiply and continue to induce their deleterious effects. 



Rindfleisch holds that phagocytes are more or less effective in the 

 removal of gouty deposits. 



