366 SPOROZOA, 



^Sarcocystis sp., Vasudevan, 1927, pp. 141-2, pis. xxiii, xxiv, 

 figs. 1-9. 

 Sarcocystis lindemanni, Knowles, 1928, p. 336, fig. 77, 2, 3; 

 Reichenow, 1929, pp. 1123, 1125, fig. 1128; Kudo, 1931, 

 p. 328 ; Reichenow, 1935, p. 394. 



The cysts (the so-called " Miescher's tubes ") are just 

 visible to the naked eye as very thin, long, whitish streaks in 

 the muscle-fibres and running parallel to them. The sheath 

 proper is clear and homogeneous. External to this is a false 

 sheath formed by compressed muscle-fibres showing clearly 

 their nuclei and striation. From the true capsule numerous 

 septa run into the cyst, dividing it into a number of partitions 

 and giving a honeycombed appearance. On crushing one 

 of these cysts numerous tiny curved bodies or spores are 

 liberated. These spores are somewhat crescentic and pointed 

 at both ends. No terminal filaments could be seen. The 

 nucleus in each spore is oval, placed along the long axis 

 either in the centre or, more commonly, subterminally. In 

 some spores near one end is a stained area which at one time 

 was supposed to represent a polar capsule. No vacuole is 

 present. 



Dimensions. — In the case of human sarcosporidiosis observed 

 by Baraban and St. Remy Miescher's tubes were from 150 to 

 1600/x long and from 77 to 168|L(, in thickness ; Vasudevan 

 gives 5-3 cm. as length and 322 ^u, as thickness. Spores are 

 8-33/x in length and 1-66 ^u. in width, the nucleus in the spore 

 measuring 3-33//, by 1-66/x,. 



Remarks. — The cysts of this parasite are much thinner and 

 longer than those of S. miesheriana, and are just visible to the 

 naked eye. The spores also are smaller and both ends are 

 pointed instead of one end being blunt as in that species. 



The parasite described by Vasudevan (1927) is of special 

 interest, as only six or seven cases of sarcosporidial infection 

 have previously been recorded in man. 



Habitat. — ^Muscles of a man : Madbas, Madras. 



