OCCURRENCE OF ORIENTAL SORE 



85 



sightly ulcerating sores, upon which swarms of flies are constantly 

 feeding. The exudations from such sores are teeming with Leish- 

 man bodies, Leishmania tropica (Fig. 15A and B), which very 

 closely resemble those of kala-azar. In some cities infection by 

 these parasites is so com- 

 mon and so inevitable 

 that normal children are 

 expected to have the dis- 

 ease and visitors to the 

 cities seldom escape a 

 sore as a souvenir, even 

 if present for only a short 

 time. In Bagdad, Wenyon 

 has shown that almost as 

 soon as the children are 

 relieved of the wrappings 

 in which they are covered 

 as babies, and allowed to 

 run free and play in the 

 streets, they are almost 

 certain of infection. Since 

 one attack gives immu- 

 nity, oriental sores ap- Fig. 15. Parasites of oriental sore (Leishmania 



pearing on an adult person 1™^^'^") • ^- ^^ "-f"^ ^' P^^-a^ite^ f™°i ^°^\ the 



t^ ^ '^ torpedo-shaped forms {A) being found outside 



in Bagdad brands him as the cells, the others (B and C) within the cells; 



a new arrival, and the ^^ Herpetomona. form taken from bedbug 48 



' hours after feeding on sore ; E, the same, dividing 



same is undoubtedly true form. X 4000. (After Wenyon.) 



in many other tropical 



cities. The disease is prevalent from India through Persia, Syria 

 and Arabia and along the south shore of the Mediterranean as 

 far as Morocco. True oriental sore probably occurs commonly 

 in many cities of tropical South America, though here it is ob- 

 viously difficult to distinguish it from the skin sores of espundia. 

 Transmission. — Though oriental sores may appear at any time 

 of the year, they are particularly abundant in the autumn months 

 in most cities of the Old World. Since the usual time of the 

 appearance of the sore, as nearly as can be judged, is about two 

 months after infection, though sometimes much less and often 

 much longer than this, infection must usually occur during the 

 hot mid-summer months. This fact suggests the probability of 



