6 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



regretted that the authors recorded but little detail of the actual 

 experiments. The total number of animals in which treatment 

 with emetine was attempted is not stated. Two strains of 

 amcebse were employed, one of which was exceedingly virulent, 

 the other somewhat less so. One gathers the impression that 

 the major portion of the work was carried out with the more 

 virulent strain. The number of passages through which the 

 strains had been passed before inoculating cats for treatment 

 is not stated, the authors considering that Entamoeba histolytica 

 does not adapt itself to its new host with any increase of viru- 

 lence on subpassage. 



A detailed description is given of one typical experiment in 

 which one kitten failed to respond to hypodermic injections of 

 emetine. This animal and two controls were successfully 

 inoculated with amoebae, all of them showing an incubation period 

 of only one day. The two controls died four days after the 

 injection of amoebae. In testing the effect of emetine, it is very 

 unfortunate that treatment was deferred for one day after the 

 diagnosis was established. The experimental kitten weighed 

 500 grams and received 5 milligrams of emetine hydrochloride 

 subcutaneously. This produced vomiting and, therefore, 3 

 milligrams were given on the second and, again, on the third 

 day of treatment. Death occurred on the following (or fourth) 

 day. All three animals at autopsy showed typical ulcers in the 

 large bowel. 



Kittens were also treated by the rectal injection of 10 cubic 

 centimeters of emetine hydrochloride in 1 to 10,000 dilution 

 The authors report that certain samples of Entamoeba histolytica 

 will withstand the action in vitro of emetine at 1 to 1,000, and 

 even 1 to 100, for one hour, and they infected kittens with 

 amoebae surviving treatment by 1 to 1,000 emetine. In no case 

 Z \Z f ^ Ct u 117 microsc °P ic evi <*ence of injury to Enta- 

 moeba histolytica by treatment for one hour with 1 to 10 000 

 emetine. It can hardly seem surprising, therefore, that a dilu- 

 tion which is without effect in vitro should also fail to produce 

 curative results in vivo. 



The failure of emetine to cure kittens infected with the less- 

 virulent strain is recorded, but no experiments are described 



One experiment is described concerning prophylaxis with 

 emetine. Two kittens were given 4 milligrams of emetfne b^ 

 muthous iodide by mouth. (This compound contain™^ 80 

 per cent of emetine.) On the second day, these two kittens and 



