Kofoid-Swezy : Pentatrkhomonas ardin delteili 387 



SUMIVIAKY 



Pentatrkhomonas ardin delteili is a trichomonad flagellate of 

 man distinct from Trichomonas hominis. It has five anterior flagella 

 while T. hominis has but four. The number of these flagella is con- 

 stant, except as doubled in the premitotic phase, and is characteristic 

 in the two genera. The anterior flagella fall into two groups arising 

 from separate blepharoplasts. Four clustered flagella arise from the 

 secondary or distal blepharoplast. The remaining single flagellum 

 arises from the primary or proximal blepharoplast, together with the 

 axial filament of the undulating membrane, the parabasal body, and 

 the axostyle. The two blepharoplasts are united by a rhizoplast 

 which continues to the centrosome on the anterior face of the nuclear 

 membrane. 



These two groups of motor organelles move in independent 

 rhythms. The independent flagellum and undulating membrane of 

 the proximal group run a more rapid rhythm, beating in one case 

 of a slowed-up individual 10 strokes every 10 seconds, while the four 

 clustered flagella of the distal group beat only 4 strokes to 10 seconds. 

 Only once in the stroke of the independent flagellum does it lie con- 

 tiguous to the four clustered ones. This fact tends to cause obscurity 

 as to the number of flagella in this and in other trichomonads. A 

 knowledge of it will assist in accurate diagnosis of trichomonad 

 infections. 



Pentatrichomonas eats red blood corpuscles in stools and in cul- 

 tures. It persists for 5 days in the stool in the laboratory, for 3 days 

 in water, for 15 days in normal saline, for 118 days in 10 per cent 

 rabbit serum in Locke's solution. It can be continuously cultivated in 

 10 per cent rabbit, guinea pig, and human serum in Locke's solution, 

 at room and bodj^ temperatures with transplants at intervals of 3 

 days. Its optimum PH is 7.4. 



It has been observed by us in three human cases, each with tropical 

 residence or contacts, and each with similar symptoms of continuous, 

 chronic, persistent diarrhoea resistant to treatment. To determine the 

 pathogenicity of human intestinal infections, clinical study and 

 accompanying accurate determination of the infecting species are 

 required. 



Zoological Laboratory, 



University of California. 

 Transmitted July 9, 1923. 



