EXAMINATIONS OF F.ECES. 419 



Sixty-six and two-thirds per cent of the dysenteric cases among white 

 men showed positive evidence of motile amoebae. 



In addition to the records of motile amoeba), an account was also kept 

 of the presence of encysted and non-motile amoebae, and in many cases 

 where there was doubt of the identity of the organism the point was 

 settled by examination with cultures. In 21 per cent of all cases 

 examined either non-motile or encysted or both forms of the organism 

 were found in preparations in which before no motile amoebae could be 

 detected. Allowing 5 per cent for possible error, there remains about 

 50 per cent of all cases examined showing evidence of amoebic infection. 



An effort was made to discover from the first 100 cases some relation 

 between length of service on the station and the presence of amoebae in 

 the intestinal canal, also any relation between sea and shore duty and 

 infection. 



From a total of 56 patients admitted from shore stations, station ships, 

 torpedo boats and the smaller cruising vessels of the Philippine Squadron, 

 from which the crew receive abundant liberty and were therefore often exposed 

 to infection, 36 cases or 64 per cent showed positive evidence of amoebae. Of 

 16 cases admitted from the larger cruising ships on which the men had spent 

 one year on this or the China Station, 5 or 31 per cent were infected; of 21 

 patients admitted from the Armored Cruiser Squadron, which had been but 

 four months on the station, 7 or 33 per cent showed amoebae on examination. 

 Sixty-five per cent of the patients admitted from strictly shore stations and 43 

 per cent of those admitted from strictly cruising ships gave positive tests for 

 the organisms. Prolonged service on the station and continued residence on 

 shore, therefore, as would naturally be expected, favors the chances of infection. 



The examination of blood films, beyond showing a slight increase of 

 eosinophils in about 40 per cent of the cases containing amoebae (over 

 5 per cent in 41 per cent of these cases) showed nothing remarkable. 

 In nineteen preparations, malarial parasites were discovered, 13 from the 

 blood of patients admitted with malaria and 6 from patients admitted 

 with some other diagnosis. 



The results of the tests for occult blood in the last 100 cases, while 

 not conclusive in any way, are nevertheless interesting. Of the total 

 of 35 cases found positive for motile amoebae, 71.4 per cent gave a positive 

 occult blood test. Seven of these cases were admitted with the diagnosis 

 of dysentery; the others with diseases in which blood in the faeces would 

 not be expected. In only 6 per cent of the remaining 65 cases was the 

 test positive, the reaction being obtained in two Agchylostoma and one 

 flagellate infection, and in one case of gall stones with choloeystitis. 



During the eight months these examinations have been conducted, 

 seven hospital corps men stationed at the hos23ital and three medical 

 officers have been infected with amoebae, although rigid precautions against 

 such an accident were taken. In spite of the use of distilled water, 

 cooked vegetables and carefully disinfected fruits, infection has occurred, 



