22,1 Sellards and Leiva: Amoebic Dysentery 31 



1.5 cubic centimeters per kilogram, in suspension in normal 

 saline, died within twenty-four hours. A second cat, injected 

 with 0.5 cubic centimeter per kilogram on two successive days, 

 remained well. 



June 13, 1921. Weight, 1,570 grams; injected with amoebae. 



June 15. Enema, blood and numerous amoebae; incubation period, two 

 days; benzyl benzoate, 0.5 cubic centimeter per kilogram; a few drops were 

 expelled containing numerous dead amoebae. 



June 16. Passing fresh blood freely, amoebae numerous and active; 

 benzyl benzoate, 0.5 cubic centimeter per kilogram. 



June 17. Dead; extensive typical lesions of large bowel. 



Control for Strain VIII. 



June 13, 1921. Weight, 1,680 grams; injected with amoebae. 

 June 16. Enema, mucus and a few red cells and amoebae; incubation 

 period, three days. 



June 18. Dead; three deep ulcers in large bowel. 



III. CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS 



Several plants belonging to the family Simarubacese are very 

 popular among the peoples native to the Tropics as remedies for 

 the treatment of dysentery; considerable evidence has accumu- 

 lated indicating their favorable action in amoebic infections. 

 Two of the best known are Brucea amarissima (Loureiro) 

 Merrill (B. sumatrana Roxburgh), from which is derived the 

 kho-sam powder of China, and Castela nicholsoni Hooker, or 

 chaparro amargoso, of Mexico. These plants possess an in- 

 tensely bitter toxic principle, but it has not been identified nor 

 even isolated in sufficient quantity for use in clinical work. 

 Favorable results have been obtained in amcebic dysentery with 

 C. nicholsoni, even in cases which failed to respond to emetine. 

 In the work here set forth we have compared the action of C. 

 nicholsoni of central America with other members of the Simaru- 

 bacese occurring in the Philippines, with the object of deter- 

 mining whether some of the local species could be used to 

 advantage in place of emetine. In addition to Castela nicholsoni 

 two species of other genera were available for study; namely, 

 Harrisonia perforata (Blanco) Merrill and Brucea amarissima 

 (Loureiro) Merrill. Few of the poorer Filipinos, even though 

 they live in Manila, ever receive adequate and thorough treat- 

 ment with emetine under satisfactory laboratory control. Sim- 

 plification of the treatment is urgently needed. 



Treatment of dysentery with extracts of the Simarubaceae 

 has always suffered from the disadvantage that no standardiza- 

 tion of dosage has been attempted. In the complete absence of 



