RAT-BITE FEVER 69 



Japanese authors, two epid^nics in coal mines have already been 

 prevented by the latter method, combined with removal of inun- 

 dated water. 



Rat-bite Fever 



In many parts of the world, especially in Japan, there occurs a 

 disease which follows a rat bite, and is therefore known as " rat- 

 bite fever." It has been reported from various localities in the 

 United States. Some inflammation occurs at the place of the 

 bite and the neighboring lymph glands swell up. After several 

 weeks a high fever ensues, preceded by chills and headache. 

 The apparently healed rat bites become inflamed and there is 

 usually a red rash which spreads all over the body. In from 

 three to seven days the fever subsides but it recurs, usually 

 within a week, with similar symptoms, and the rash is more 

 constantly present than in the first attack. In some cases there 

 are still more relapses. 



The similarity of the disease to such spirochete diseases as the 

 relapsing fevers is obvious, and its spirochaete nature was long 

 suspected by Japanese physicians, especially when they found 

 salvarsan to be effective in its treatment. Within the past few 

 months some Japanese physicians (Futaki, Takaki, Taniguchi 

 and Osumi) discovered in seven out of eight 

 patients numerous actively moving spirochsetes 

 in the broken-out skin and in swollen lymph 

 glands. Animals were successfully inoculated 

 with the disease by means of bits of skin tissue 

 and blood containing spirochsetes. The organ- 

 ism, which has been named Spirochceta morsus 

 muris, is described as being an actively moving pj^ 12. Sjdro- 

 animal, larger than Sp. pallida of syphilis, but chmta morsus muris, 

 smaller than the relapsing fever spirochetes, for™ as found in 

 It is rather short and thick with an attenuated human and animal 



, J ,_. ^ _\ T infections. (Selected 



portion or fiagellum at each end (iig. l^). l^ong f^om figures by Fu- 

 spirochffites, at first thought to be specifically dis- taki, Takaki, Tani- 



^ , . , ,. 1 J- 1 guohi and Osumi.) 



tinct from the short thick forms, also are found 

 in human infections. According to Kaneko and Okuda these are 

 probably degenerate forms resulting from the action of anti- 

 bodies. 



The Japanese investigators have been unable to find the spiro- 



