22, i Sellards and Leiva: Amoebic Dysentery 7 



two controls were injected per rectum with 5 cubic centimeters of 

 an emulsion of the more-virulent strain of amoebae. The admin- 

 istration of 4 milligrams of emetine bismuthous iodide was re- 

 peated by mouth in the two kittens receiving prophylactic treat- 

 ment. On the first day after the injection of amoebae, one of the 

 controls and one of the treated kittens were passing blood-stained 

 mucus and amoebae. The treatments with emetine were omitted 

 on that day. On the second day after injection of amoebae, the 

 other treated kitten was positive ; the remaining control continued 

 negative throughout the experiment. On the second and third 

 days after inoculation, 10 milligrams of the double iodide were 

 given by mouth to the kittens under treatment and then the 

 emetine was discontinued. The infected control died on the 

 fourth day after injection, one of the treated kittens died 

 on the fifth, and the other was killed on the tenth. Typical 

 ulceration was found in all on post-mortem examination. 



Mayer (9) produced amoebic dysentery in kittens and tested 

 the therapeutic action of emetine, derivatives of emetine, sima- 

 ruba, tartar emetic, papaverine, and other substances. No 

 satisfactory results were obtained. Of sixteen cats none was 

 cured with emetine. Emetathylin was efficacious but very toxic. 



The observations of Ware (17) in India are of interest. At 

 one of the hill stations, dysentery had given considerable trouble 

 in a pack of foxhounds. Seven animals were affected. Smears 

 from the faeces of the first two hounds that were examined 

 showed amoebae extremely like Entamoeba histolytica. All seven 

 were then injected with emetine, and all responded promptly. 

 Dosages of 1 grain were used for large hounds and 0.5 grain 

 for dogs thcsize of a fox terrier. Only one relapse occurred, 

 although some were obstinate cases of several months' standing. 

 This helpful observation from practice points very directly to 

 the conclusion that emetine was immediately responsible for the 

 recovery of these animals. This conclusion is questioned by 

 Dobell(4) on the ground that the dogs might have recovered 

 without treatment, and because he was not able to cure acute 

 experimental infections in young kittens. 



TECHNIC OF EXPERIMENTS 



Several strains of amoebae were inoculated into cats, and the 

 infected animals were treated with various drugs. Attention 

 was directed primarily to emetine, the standard agent for use 

 in man. Quinine and papaverine were also tested, and prelum- 



