xix] PROTOZOA CAUSING DISEASE 521 



evidence as to the existence of these forms : namely, adult 

 band-like masses with a nucleated head, and also smaller 

 spherical, oval, or pear-shaped masses (i.e., growing forms) 

 in a case of carcinoma of the skin of the hand. 



These band-like masses with nucleated pear-shaped head 

 are from their shape and their size so unlike anything else 

 amongst the epithelium that it is quite out of the question 

 to refer them to anything belonging to the epithelial or to 

 other known cells, and the question therefore arises as to 

 their nature and as to their relation to carcinoma. Both 

 Korotnefif and Kurloff show that by special staining they 

 can be easily demonstrated ; and in this I agree, so far as 

 their presence in some carcinomata is concerned. I have 

 seen identical bodies in sections of a carcinoma of the 

 oesophagus, which were stained first in fuchsin or rubin and 

 then in methyl-blue. They were conspicuous not only by 

 their shape but also by their deep pink stain (fuchsin or 

 rubin), which they take up and retain with great persistence. 

 They appeared as partly intracellular, more generally inter- 

 cellular, filamentous, or band-like deeply stained masses 

 with a spheroidal or pear-shaped nucleated enlargement; 

 and in this form they are easily recognised. Besides such 

 forms there occur similar deep-pink spheroidal or oval 

 nucleated intracellular masses ; and it is difficult to decide 

 whether all these or only some of them, notably the larger 

 ones, are merely truncated enlargements of the former. 

 The smaller of such forms are, most probably, young grow- 

 ing forms, as is maintained by Korotneff and Kurloff; but 

 it must be obvious that the " rophalocephalus " may appear 

 in the specimen in longitudinal, in oblique, or in transverse 

 section, and as a matter of fact gradations between the long 

 band-like adult (so called) forms and the spherical or oval 

 nucleated bodies can be easily observed. I myself cannot 



