186 Drs Fantham and Porter, Notes on Certain Protozoa 
Trichomonas hominis (or T’. intestinalis) as found in the intestine 
is pear-shaped, with three free flagella at the blunt or anterior 
end, a lateral flagellum attached to the body by an undulating” 
membrane and an axial rod running towards the pointed end of | 
the body from near the anteriorly placed nucleus. The flagellate | 
measures about 10m to 154 by 5u. Rounded, contracted forms — 
may be found in the faeces, the occurrence of encysted forms being — 
disputed. Similar trichomonads occur in rodents such as rats — 
and mice. Possibly these act as reservoirs of the parasites. 
There is also reason to believe that the trichomonads may be 
water-borne. Regarding pathogenicity, it may be remarked that, 
among recent workers, Mello-Leitao (1913) has found 7. hominis — 
in relatively benign dysentery in children in Rio de Janeiro. 
Kscomel (1918) found 152 cases of dysentery im Peru due solely — 
to Trichomonas. In some of the dysenteric cases invalided from — 
Gallipoli, it has been found that the Trichomonas is coexistent 
with one or other of the dysentery bacilli. Such mixed infections — 
have led certain workers at home to consider trichomonads as 
of little pathogenic importance, but others do not hold this 
opinion. 
Chilomastix (Tetramitus) mesnili. This flagellate, first described — 
from human faeces in 1910, is allied to Trichomonas, but Chito-— 
mastic mesnili has a large cytostome, hence its former name, 
Macrostoma mesnil. Three anterior flagella are present, and a 
fourth one (perhaps attached to an undulating membrane) occurs — 
in the cytostome or oral groove, and vibrates therein. An axial — 
rod or axostyle is absent in the organisms, which are pear-shaped, 
with vacuolated cytoplasm, and may measure 14u by Typ. 
Brumpt (1912) considers Chilomastiz to be the causal agent of 
a colitis, but Nattan-Larrier hardly shares his opinion. Such 
flagellates have been found by us in the fresh faeces of patients 
from the Mediterranean. 
Goardia (Lamblia) intestinalis is a somewhat complicated 
flagellate protozodn exhibiting bilateral symmetry. Hight fla- 
gella, arranged in four pairs, are present. The organism also — 
contains two axostyles, and two nuclei, each with a karyosome, 
are present. On the under surface. there is a concave depression 
or sucking disc anteriorly. The organism is from 10m to 21 
long and 54 to 12 broad. 
The parasite occurs in the small intestine of man, and closely 
allied forms, probably only varieties of Giardia intestinalis, may 
be found in rats, mice, rabbits and guinea-pigs. The flageliates 
attach themselves by their sucking discs to the epithelial cells 
of the duodenum and other parts of the small intestine of their 
host. They do not appear to multiply as flagellates, but division 
occurs within the resistant cysts that are produced. The rounded 
