212 



STITT. 



presence of intestinal parasites or their ova. 

 examinations gave findings as follows : 



The remaining positive 



Organism. 



Ascaris 



Trichocephalus- 



Flagellates 



Amoebse 



Hookworm 



Txnia saginaia 



Balantidium 



Strongyloidea .. 



Number 



of in- 

 fections. 



627 



607 



135 



111 



23 



3 



1 



1 



Per cent. 



67.2 



65.1 



14.4 



10.9 



2.4 



.3 



.1 



.1 



I personally, and very carefully, made the stool examinations in 100 of the 

 above cases taken in sequence, using neutral red as well as with ordinary cover 

 glass preparations, and obtained the following results: 



Age. 



Under 5 years 

 5 to 10 years .- 

 10 to 25 years . 

 25 to 50 years . 

 Oyer 50 years. 



Total 



Cases. 



42 

 27 

 16 

 10 

 5 



100 



As- 

 caris. 



37 

 25 



80 



Whip- 

 worm. 



28 



23 



14 



4 



3 



72 



Hook- 



Amoi- 

 bx. 



Flagel- 

 lates. 



10 



Twelve of the eases tabulated above failed to show intestinal parasites or 

 their ova. Of the entire total, positive for hookworm, 8 were between 5 and 

 15 years of age; 7 were between 25 and 35; 4 between 15 and 25; 3 over 35, and 

 only 1 under 5 years. 



Among the specimens positive for amoebae there were organisms which 

 as regards ectosarc characteristics and distribution of nuclear chromatin 

 corresponded to Entamoeba coli and Entamaha histolytica. Both types 

 would frequently be observed in the same stool. Ver}'' few of these 

 amoebic infections presented dysenteric or other symptoms. However, 

 in three cases with marked anaemia and loss of energy and with the 

 presence of very great numbers of amcebffi in the stools, ipecac treat- 

 ment caused the disappearance of amoebse and complete restoration to 

 health. 



We find, on comparing the percentage of cases positive for amoebae 

 with the results of examinations of the members of the Hospital Corps 

 of the United States Navy on duty at this hospital, that an examination 

 of the stools of 26 of these native-bom Americans, in August, 1910, 

 showed 34 per cent to be infected. A similar examination of 33 cases 

 in December, 1910, gave positive findings for amoebae in 37 per cent. 

 There are certain points to be kept in mind in judging of the greater 



■iWj • 



