448 



TR YPA NOSOMIDM 



Italian, and German workers. The spirochaetes found in Japan and 

 Belgium have been shown by Noguchi to be identical morphologically 

 and serologically. The parasite seems to occur in the kidneys and 

 urine of wild rats in Japan, in the rats in the trenches in Belgium, 

 in those in France, where the disease in unknown, and in America, 

 where it is rare. 



The organism can enter through the alimentary canal, via 

 abrasions on and even through the healthy skin, and, as it can live 

 in water, this is thought to be the principal means of infection — i.e., 

 by walking barefoot or in sandals on wet earth or in stagnant 

 water. 



The spirochaetes are 6-9 microns long on an average, but may 

 reach to 20 microns and about 02-5 micron in breadth, with two to 

 three large or four to five small waves. It often contains retractile 

 granules, to the number of twenty- five to forty (these may in reality 

 represent small waves, as shown by Dobell). 



Guinea-pigs may be infected orally, subcutaneously, or intra- 

 peritoneally, with the blood of patients up to the seventh day of the 

 illness, but usually not later, though there are exceptions to this. 

 The incubation period in these animals is seven to eight days, and 

 the symptoms resemble those produced in man. Rabbits cannot be 

 infected. Ito and Matsuzaki obtained it in pure culture from the 

 heart blood of subinoculated guinea-pigs, by sowing this on blood 

 agar or blood gelatine and incubating from 20°-25° C, though it can 

 grow from i5°-37° C. It produces neither odour, gas, nor lique- 

 faction of the medium. The organism so cultivated remains patho- 

 genic for guinea-pigs. A good medium is a mixture of rabbit 

 blood-serum and 0*85 per cent, saline in the proportion of i to 5. 



Spiroschaudinnia hebdomadis Ido, Ito, and Wani, 19 18. 



Morphologically similar to S. icterohcBmorrhagicB, differs serologically. 

 Found by Ido, Ito, and Wani in cases of a seven-day fever called Nanukayami, 

 which somewhat resembles atypical Weil's disease. 



The field mouse [Microtus montebelli) seems to be the normal host of the 

 spirochaete. 



Spirosehaudinnia in Yellow Fever. 



Stimson in 1909 described a spirochaete in the organs of persons who had 

 died of yellow fever (S, interrogans Stimson 1909), but little importance was 

 given to this observation. In 19 18 Noguchi cultivated from the blood of 

 several yellow fever patients a spirochaete similar to 5. icterohcBmorrhagics 

 {Leptospira icterohcsmorrhagics) , and by inoculating cultures of the organism 

 he produced in monkeys the same haemorrhagic lesions as seen after the 

 successful incculation of blood of yellow fever patients. 



B. Cutaneous Spirochetes. 

 Spiroschaudinnia vincenti Blanchard, 1906. 



Synonym. — Spiroschaudinnia schaudinni Prowazek, 1907. 



This is a very active motile spirochaete 10 to 20 [ju in length, with a well- 

 marked undulating membrane and one rather short fiagellnm. Male and 

 female forms can be seen, according to Prowazek. Division is longitudinal. 



