Mettam — Spi7'ochcetes in certain infective Sarcomata of Dogs. 79 



In addition to these bacillary organisms, there are others also recognized 

 and described by the above-mentioned authors. These are banana- shaped, 

 and stain reddish with Giemsa's stain. They are of the "corps enigma tiqiies " 

 described by Krzysztalowicz and Siedlecki. The organisms are slightly 

 curved and roundly pointed at each extremity. In their protoplasm is to 

 be observed an object — a nucleus (?) — staining dark-red in colour. In most 

 cases two of these objects are placed end to end, as if they had arisen by 

 fission from a mother-cell, and they are so arranged as to continue the 

 same curve. The general outline of the organism is not unlike the 

 chlamydospore of a sarcosiDoridium, but much smaller, as their length does 

 not exceed 3^. 



I have searched carefully the films I have prepared for any trypanosomes 

 or trypanosome-like bodies, but have failed to find any resembling such 

 organisms. This search was necessary because the authors already quoted 

 are inclined to describe the lesions of syphilis as containing a minute 

 body resembling, in many of its characteristics, a trypanosome, and which 

 they venture to call " trypanosoma luis." The connexion, if any, between 

 spirocheetes and trypanosomes has not as yet been clearly proved, though in 

 some cases of trypanosome infectious spirochsetes or spirilla have been 

 observed. It is considered, however, that the presence of spirochsetes or 

 spirilla is evidence of a second infection, and not of any connexion between 

 spirocheetes and trypanosomes. In the rat — the common host of a trypano- 

 some — the trypanosoma Lewisi — I have observed a lesion which contained 

 numerous spirochsetes and the other bodies already described. The organisms 

 were in almost pure culture, and extremely numerous. I made a number of 

 careful observations of the blood of the rat in question, but failed to discover 

 a single trypanosome, nor were there any spirochsetes in the blood. They 

 appear to have been confined to the local lesion, which involved two glands 

 which pour their secretion into the vulva near to the opening on the surface 

 of the body. The glands are placed beneath the skin, and are of the 

 sebaceous tj^pe. 



Numerous investigators have examined the dog tumours for the presence 

 of organisms, and most have hitherto failed to find any, Beebe and Ewing,^ 

 however, relate that in one case they found a spu'ochsete, to which, however, 

 they apparently assign no pathogenic properties, or consider its presence as 

 merely accidental. San Felice observed a blastomycete, which he believes 

 of etiological significance, and I can confirm his discovery of such an organism ; 

 but I am not prepared to support his contention that it is pathogenic. 



i " A Study of the so-called infectious Lympho-sarcomaof Dogs." Journal of Xedical Eesearch, 

 xy, September, 1906. 



