SYPHILIS 227 



ever, to act but feebly as a curative agent, although a few 

 cases of apparent cure after its use have been reported. 



Preventive Measures. — All horses suffering from suspicious 

 discharges should be examined, and, if found to be suffer- 

 ing from glanders, should be forthwith slaughtered and the 

 carcase burned, or boiled under a pressure of 2 or 3 atmo- 

 spheres, special care being exercised in handling it. 



The stables and all clothing which may be contaminated 

 should be carefully disinfected with mercuric chloride. 



SYPHILIS. 



Syphilis appears to belong to a group, the other members of which are 

 tuberculosis, leprosy and glanders — Lustgarten's bacillus is probably 

 the specific organism — Some observers have described streptococci — 

 Methods of staining — Growth on media — Bacillus of Eve and Lingard 

 — Capsulated diplococcus of Disse and Taguoohi — V-shaped bacOlus 

 of Dr. Van Neissen — Stassano's researches — The Contagious Diseases 

 Act — Necessity for again putting the Act into force. 



Several observers have described various organisms as 

 the cause of syphilis, but, with the exception of the bacillus 

 of Lustgarten, their discoveries have received very scant 

 confirmation. 



The disease bears such a close family resemblance to 

 tuberculosis, glanders and leprosy that we cannot but expect 

 that it will be ultimately established that it is due to a 

 specific bacillus. Lustgarten described his bacillus in the 

 year 1884 ; it is a slightly curved rod, somewhat smaller 

 than the tubercle bacillus. He found it in the primary sore 

 in syphilis. He does not appear to have succeeded in 

 growing it in artificial culture. 



The organism has been found by other observers in the 

 syphilitic gummata of the intestine and in mucous mem- 

 brane of the mouth. 



15—2 



