DISEASES CAUSED BY SPIROCHETES 615 



examined both in the cutaneous papules and in ulcerations. Confirm- 

 atory investigations on a larger series of cases were later carried out by 

 von dem Borne. ^ 



The microorganism is from 7 to 20 micra in length with nimaerous 

 undulations and pointed ends. Examined in fresh preparations, it has 

 an active motihty similar to that of Spirochseta pallida. In smears 

 it is easily stained by means of the Giemsa method. 



Both the clinical similarity between yaws and syphihs, as well as 

 the similarity between the microorganisms causing the diseases, has 

 opened the question as to the identity of the two microorganisms. 

 According to most clinical observers, however, yaws, which is a disease 

 characterized chiefly by a generalized papular eruption, is vmquestion- 

 ably distinct, clinically, from lues, and experiments of Neisser, Baermann, 

 and Halberstadter,^as well as of Castellani ' himself, have tended to show 

 that there is a distinct difference between the immunity produced by 

 attacks of the two diseases. The disease is transmissible to monkeys, 

 as is syphilis, but it has been satisfactorily shown that monkeys inocu- 

 lated with syphilitic material, while no longer susceptible to infection 

 with Spirochaeta pallida, may still be successfully inoculated with 

 Spirochaeta pertenuis. 



SPIROCHAETA GALLINARUM 



An acute infectious disease occiu-ring among chickens, chiefly in 

 South America, has been shown by Marchoux and Salimbeni * to be 

 caused by a spirochsete which has much morphological similarity to the 

 spirochsete of Obermeier. 



The disease comes on rather suddenly with fever, diarrhea, and great 

 exhaustion, and often ends fatally. The spirochsete is easily demon- 

 strated in the circulating blood of the animals by staining blood-smears 

 with Giemsa's stain or with dilute carbol-fuchsin. 



Artificial cultivation of the microorganism has not yet been ac- 

 complished. Experimental transmission from animal to animal is easily 

 carried out by the subcutaneous injection of blood. Other birds, such 

 as geese, ducks, and pigeons, are susceptible; mammals have, so far, 

 not been successfully inoculated. According to the investigations of 



' Von dem Borne, Jour. Trop. Med., 10, 1907. 



' Neisser, Baermann, und Halberstadter, Munch, med. Woch., xxviii, 1906. 



' Castellani, Jour, of Hyg., 7, 1907. 



' Marchoux et Salimbeni, Ann. de I'inst. Pasteur, 1903. 



