36 Salisbury, 



visible impression upon the systems to which it is tvansferrecl ; 

 while, upon others, it produces more or less marked constitutional 

 disturbance. 



Genus. Crypta (Salisbury). — Minute, transparent, highly 

 refractive algoid filaments, which develop in living organic matter 

 from spores. 



Species. C. Syphilitica (Salisbury). — A homogeneous fila- 

 ment, with extremities obtusely rounded. The filaments are of 

 such uniform structure throughout that no trace of transverse 

 markings are visible save in their early stage of development; 

 neither can the contents be distinguished from the outside wall 

 of the filament. The filaments are either straight, coiled, or ar- 

 ranged in curves. They develop from spores, which may be active 

 or inactive in the connective tissue, and may be transplanted from 

 one individual to another by inoculation, or by contact with mu- 

 cous membranes. They are believed to produce the disease known 

 as syphilis. The connective tissues, in their various modifications, 

 furnish a fertile soil for the development and propagation of this 

 plant. When the spores are planted on a mucous surface, they 

 vegetate, the filaments making their way through the basement 

 membrane, instead of extending laterally in the epithelial tissue. 

 The epithelial tissue, in the primary disease, is only destroyed 

 immediately over where the plants first penetrate the glue tissue 

 beneath. 



The following is a brief report of a few cases selected from 

 my notebook. The illustrations are drawn from the plants and 

 spores found in the cases here given. I have a great number 

 of other cases of like character recorded, but those given will 

 suffice for the present: — 



Case I — Mr. H. B. , aet. 28, strong, robust man; called 

 Nov. 9, 1865; labouring under primary syphilis. Never has had 

 the disease before; has a large chancre on the penis, just back 

 of the glans. Eighteen days since exposure, and six since the 

 disease first made its appearance. Cauterized with the liquid 

 pernitrate of mercury, and twelve hours after removed the dead 

 tissue produced by cauterizing. On teasing this out carefully, and 

 placing it under the microscope, discovered a large number of 

 algoid filaments (C. syphilitica, fig. 5), many of them very long 

 and variously coiled, and running in an irregular, zigzag manner 

 in every direction among the connective tissue elements. These 



