522 A H cematozoon in Human Blood. [part hi. 



McConnell, with a note stating that the man was amongst his out-patients, and had 

 been suffering, and was even suffering a little still, from Chjluria. The medical 

 history which I gathered from the man was, briefly told, as follows : Has suffered 

 more or less Constantly for five years from what he believes to be " chronic dysentery." 

 This came on during his residence in Mysore. Eight months after the advent of 

 the intestinal affection, he observed that the urine passed towards the middle of 

 the day was white, but was not so in the early morning. His hearing and sight 

 became affected about the same time, and have remained imperfect since, although 

 there is nothing to be observed wrong about either set of organs. 



The urine at the time he paid me a visit did not seem to be particularly 

 affected, merely a little cloudy, but was albuminous. A little carbolic acid solution 

 having been added to it, it was set aside in a conical vessel, and subsequently the 

 sediment removed by means of a pipette for microscopic examination. This is usually 

 the method adopted by me in cases when the fluid does not coagulate, or when, 

 after coagulation has taken place, it has become liquefied. 



Slide after slide was examined in vain, still I felt convinced that, as there 

 had been a distinct history of Chyluria, and as the urine was still albuminous, but 

 contained no " casts," the original cause had not entirely disappeared. Eventually, 

 after searching for about four hours, three excellent specimens of the Filarise were 

 obtained, one of which I forthwith despatched to Dr. McConnell. A week afterwards 

 the patient returned, but I failed to detect a single worm in the specimen of urine 

 which was obtained on this occasion. He came a third time, after an interval of 

 about another week, when Filarise were detected in the sediment without much 

 delay. 



Several preparations of the blood were also examined, but the Hsematozoa were 

 not detected in this fluid. Were, however, a couple of ounces of the blood examined 

 (coagulation being prevented by the addition of a neutral salt), instead of a couple of 

 drops, doubtless the sediment would contain plenty of the Filariae, seeing that a 

 few must have actually passed out of it through the kidneys, as we have already 

 seen that they are not localised in these organs, the latter simply acting as one 

 of the channels through which they may escape out of the circulation. 



I may refer to a similar experience in one other instance : — A middle-aged 

 lady, long resident in Calcutta, was referred to me by Dr. Charles as she had for 

 some time suffered from recurring attacks of Chyluria, which baffled all kinds of 

 treatment. The urine which she forwarded to me was, on several occasions, decidedly 

 chylous, and on nearly every occasion active Filarise could be detected, but the attempts 

 which were two or three times made to obtain them direct from the circulation proved 

 fruitless. 



The converse of this has, on one occasion, happened to me, namely, finding the Filaria 



