SPIROCHETE PALLIDA 519 



large numbers (Plate II., Fig. 6), as was first shown by Buschke 

 and Fischer, and by Levaditi. In the pemphigoid bullae, in 

 the blood, in the internal organs, the liver, lungs, spleen, supra- 

 renals, and even in the heart its detection may be comparatively 

 easy, owing to the large numbers present (Fig. 159). It is 

 also present in syphilitic placentae, though not usually in large 

 numbers. It has been generally supposed that tertiary syphilitic 

 lesions are non-infective, and the results of the earlier observa- 

 tions on the spirochsete pallida were apparently in accordance 

 with this view, as they gave negative results. More prolonged 

 search has, however, shown that the organism may occur in 

 tertiary lesions also. It has been found to be present in the 

 peripheral parts of gummata, especially at an early stage of their 

 formation ; and the observations 

 of Schmorl, Benda, J. H. Wright, 

 and others show that it is often 

 to be found in syphilitic disease 

 of arteries, sometimes occurring 

 in considerable numbers in the 

 thickened patches in the aorta. 

 That the spirochsete may persist I 



in the body for a very long time x / 



after infection, has been abun- • / 



dantly shown by different ob- ' / 



servers ; in one case, for example, ^'iv ' 



its presence was demonstrated Fiq 160 ._ Spirochajte refringens 

 sixteen years after the primary ; n fn m preparation from a case 

 lesion. It can readily be demon- of balanitis. xlOOO. 

 strated in sections of syphilitic 



lesions by the method described on page 109. Recently 

 Noguchi and Moore have announced the discovery of the 

 spirochsete in the brain in general paralysis of the insane in 

 a certain proportion of cases. The organism was seen in all 

 the layers of the cerebral cortex, with the exception of the outer- 

 most, and the cases in which it was found had run a relatively 

 rapid course. Infection has also been transmitted to the rabbit 

 {vide infra) by inoculation with the brain tissue of general 

 paralytics. 



In preparations from the organs in congenital syphilis large 

 numbers of spirochsetes, chiefly extra-vascular in position, can 

 be seen, and many may occur in the interior of the more highly 

 specialised cells, for example, liver-cells. They also abound 

 sometimes on mucous surfaces, e.g., of the bladder and intestine 

 in cases of congenital syphilis. The enormous numbers of the 



