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Chapter XXIX 

 SPIRILLAR. FEVER 



It seems highly probable that the ' spiro- 

 chaetes ' found in the blood are protozoa and not 

 bacteria. Firstly, they will not grow on any 

 medium ; secondly, the character of the tempera- 

 ture chart is unlike that associated with any 

 bacterium ; thirdly, the spirillar disease of fowls 

 is conveyed by ticks ; and fourthly, Schaudinn's 

 remarkable work on Spirochaete ztemanni, if we 

 can extend it to others, seems to complete the 

 proof of their protozoan nature. 



I. Spirochaete obermeieri. — In man occurs as 

 a fine spiral thread-like body ten to forty m in 

 length, by, at most, one ^ broad. The number of 

 spirals is on an average about ten. Examined 

 with high powers they appear to be uniform in 

 structure, or at most present minute unstained 

 spots. They have been said to possess flagella but 

 the observation has not been confirmed. The 

 formation of tangles or rosettes is an uncommon 

 phenomenon. The presence of spirochaetes in the 

 blood can be detected with comparatively low 

 powers by the disturbance among the red cells. 

 The blood should be examined during the pyretic 

 attack; they disappear entirely during the apyrexia. 

 Stain with Romanowsky. Outside the body the 

 spirilla, at a temperature of 20° C, will survive as 

 long as a fortnight. The only susceptible animals 

 are monkeys. 



