Mettam — B'pirochoetes in certain infective Sarcomata of Dogs. 77 



since that time numerous observers in all parts of the world have also noted 

 their presence, and now it is practically admitted that this spirocheete — the 

 Treponema pallidum, as it has since been named — is the causal agent of 

 syphilis. The presence of this parasite has also been recognized in lesions 

 experimentally set up in chimpanzees, lower monkeys, and in the cornea of 

 the rabbit. The parasite has also been found in the lesions of children born 

 syphilitic of syphilitic parents. The disease dourine is only seen in equines 

 at the stud — that is, in stallions and in breeding mares. Infection occurs at 

 copulation, and the infecting agent is a trypanosome. It is generally supposed 

 that this trypanosome is capable of passing through the intact mucous 

 membrane to produce infection. In this disease, however, no tumours- 

 neoplasms are formed ; the infection is a chronic one, terminating in serious 

 lesions of the spinal marrow, and eventually in death. 



I have observed in two cases of infective sarcoma of dogs, both females, 

 after an interval of fourteen months, spirochsetes in films made from the 

 tumour, and which I think necessary to describe. The first time I discovered 

 the parasites was in January, 1907, and the patient was a bull-bitch. The 

 tumour was not ulcerating. From a portion of the new growth removed films 

 were made, and rapidly air-dried and fixed. The fixatives employed were 

 methylic alcohol, or absolute alcohol, or osmic acid fumes. The films were 

 stained in various ways, but that by Giemsa's solution was most satisfactory. 

 Examination of the films showed numerous spirocheetes, and my friend. 

 Prof. Nuttall, of Cambridge, kindly examined a film for me, corroborating the 

 discovery. He mentioned that the spirochsetes were more slender than those 

 observed in Vincent's angina, with which they were compared. I wrote a 

 note announcing the discovery of these spirochsetes to the British Medical 

 JournaP and the Veterinary Journal f but I have not as yet published any 

 description of the organisms. 



On April 3rd of the present year I again had an opportunity of making 

 films from the tumour removed from the vagina of an animal, also of the 

 bull-dog breed. The films were treated in the same manner as in the 

 previous case, and were also stained by the Leishmann stain. The latter 

 did not give nearly so good results as the Giemsa stain, which revealed the 

 delicate spirochsetes after staining for a few minutes. In addition to the 

 spirochsetes were other bodies, also to be described, which are similar in every 

 respect to the bodies already described as accompanying the Treponema 

 pallidum in syphilis. 



' British Medical Journal, " Cancer Problems," February 9, 1907. 

 - Veterinary Journal, February, 1907. 



E. I. A. PROC, VOL. XX\^I., SECT. B. [jV] 



