SYPHILIS. 235 



problematical. It may also be noticed that this organism has 

 been found in the tertiary lesions, which are usually believed to 

 be non-infectious. 



Other organisms have been described as present in syphiHtic 

 lesions, notably one quite recently by Van Niessen. This 

 organism is a pleomorphous bacillus belonging to the higher 

 bacteria. He claims not only to have demonstrated it, both in 

 the tissues and in the blood, but to have obtained it in pure 

 culture from a number of cases. On the other hand, Schiiller 

 states that he has found a protozoon-like organism in a great 

 variety of syphilitic lesions. The latest researches are those 

 reported by Joseph and Piorkowski, who have cultivated on 

 sterile placentas a certain bacillus from the semen of twenty-five 

 syphilitics and from the blood in two cases. Their description 

 of the bacillus shows it to have many characters in common 

 with those organisms which resemble B. diphtheriae. Four 

 cases supposed to be free of syphilitic taint when examined 

 in the same manner showed none of the bacilli. Until con- 

 firmation of these results has been obtained it is unnecessary to 

 give details. 



