SMALL-POX AND VACCINIA 51 



Whether we examine a preparation of a small-pox lesion, or of a 

 vaccinated cornea, or a good drawing of such a preparation, everyone 

 must be struck by the degree to which the art of omission has been 

 carried, in framing the figures that represent the same lesions in the 

 ordinary text-books of pathology. 



We may now pass to consider briefly the findings of those who 

 have closely examined fresh variolous and vaccine lymph for protozoa. 

 The observations of Funk 1 and De Korte 2 relate to the same bodies, 

 to convey an idea of which I cannot do better than quote from a 

 recent article of the latter observer : 



' If the vesicular contents of a human vaccine vesicule be examined 

 as a hanging drop with the highest powers of the microscope and 

 suitable adjustment of the light, disregarding any gross cell-element 

 which may be present, the fluid will be seen to contain a vast number 

 of exceedingly small grains, which appear to be motile on a warmed 

 stage ; their shape and size, because of their smallness, is practically 

 indeterminable. These grains, I think, are spores ; they are larger 

 and more distinct in variolous matter, and always normally situated 

 within the cell ; they are motile in calf lymph, immobile in glycerin- 

 ated calf lymph. The various bodies thus far described will be 

 seen to consist of four elements spore, sporidium or amoeba, encysted 

 parasite, and morula body found in glycerinated calf lymph.' 3 



For the basis of this interpretation, I must refer the reader to 

 Dr. de Korte's original articles. 



Mention of the elements seen in fresh small-pox lymph reminds 

 me of some observations I made in 1894 on some variola lymph 

 taken, by kind permission of Dr. Ricketts, from patients in the 

 hospital ships. Though the lymph drawn, after sterilizing the 

 surface, into a capillary tube from a vesicular or early pustular lesion 

 is usually free from cultivable bacteria, this is not necessarily the 

 case. This w r as shown to me by the presence of a typical Acarus 

 scabiei in lymph drawn from a part of the body where scabies is 



1 M. Funk, Cent. fur. Bakt., July 5, 1901. 



2 W. E. de Korte, Lancet, vol. xxiv., 1904 ; Practitioner, September, 1905. 



3 Ibid., Brit. Med. Journ. , December i, 1906. 



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