TWO CASES OF BALANTIDIUM COLl INFECTION, WITH 



AUTOPSY.' 



By Fbed B. Bowman. 

 {Fro-in the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.] 



Infection with Balantidium colt in the Philippine Islands is not very 

 common. In the routine examination for intestinal parasites of faeces 

 from 4,000 prisoners confined in Bilibid Prison in Manila, but three 

 individuals examined showed the presence of this organism. It should 

 be mentioned, however, that many of the specimens examined, because 

 of their age, were not favorable for finding Balantidium coli. 



Of 300 patients .which have passed through the wards of the Phil- 

 ippine Medical School, devoted to tropical medicine, during the past 

 year, but three harbored this parasite. One of these patients died. 

 This is one of the cases to be reported in this paper. The second left 

 the hospital before her case could be studied thoroughlj', but no other 

 organism was found in the fseces which would account for the severe 

 dysenteric symptoms which were present. The third case, also suffering 

 with diarrhoea, has just been admitted to the hospital while this article 

 is in press. 



The report of the clinical symptoms of the following cases and their 

 pathologic study may throw some further light on the question of the 

 pathogenicity of Balantidium coli. 



Case I. — This case was seen at autopsy and the sections of the 

 intestine studied by Doctor Strong in 1906. 



The clinical history showed that the patient, a male Filipino prisoner, 

 was admitted to the Bilibid Prison Hospital complaining of palpita- 

 tion of the heart. 



On physical examination the heart sounds were clear l)nt extremely 

 rapid and throblnng in character. Fever was present. 



The stools were diarrhoeal in character, no mucus or l)lood being 

 present. [Microscopical examination showed large numbers of the Balan- 

 tidiurib coli. After an illness of one week, during which the moderate 



^ Read at the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Philippine Islands Medical 

 Association, February 13, 1909. 



417 



