644 
Philippine Journal of Science 
1920 
tering at the point of exit are probably promptly disposed of 
by the leucocytes. 
On the other hand, when large numbers of the parasites are 
passing out, this reparative process is hindered and the intes- 
tine responds to the developing irritation by increased peristal- 
sis that quickly becomes excessive. It is not improbable, then, 
that the violent peristalsis assists in the desquamation of epithe- 
lial structures already separated from their supporting tissues 
and, as a result, groups of epithelial cells become detached and 
contribute their share to the microscopic picture. The gates 
are then open to secondary bacterial invasion and the battle 
is on. 
It would seem as if benzyl benzoate, through its specific 
action on the smooth musculature of the intestine, might inhibit 
this suicidal tendency on the part of the organism. This may be 
the reason why our patient did not show the clinical picture of 
acute balantidiosis with his parasitic relapse of January 21. It 
also may explain how it happens that a patient may pass fre- 
quent stools consisting mainly of tissue debris, pus, and parasites 
on one day, and four days later pass practically normal, feculent 
stools in which no traces of cell debris can be detected. Such 
were our observations in this case. 
The case, however, raises other questions regarding the ac- 
tion of benzyl benzoate on intestinal protozoal infections. So 
far as our study of the material has progressed, the autopsy 
seems to have furnished evidence that a cure, in an absolute 
sense, was brought about coincidentally with the employment 
of the drug and possibly as a direct result of its action on the 
parasites. Balantidia were absent from the faeces for nine- 
teen days prior to the death of the patient, although this, in 
itself, is not by any means convincing. But at autopsy we failed 
to find any in the lumen of the intestine. Furthermore, a 
thorough search of the tissues has, so far, failed to yield any 
of them; they may be there, but we have not found them yet. 
Has the drug a specific protozoocidal action ? That is to be sus- 
pected, but remains to be proved. The work of Macht and 
Fisher, (3) on the toxic effects of benzyl benzoate on the free- 
living ciliate Paramcecium putrinum, is no more convincing on 
that point than are many other similar, painstakingly conducted 
experiments with free-living protozoa or with parasitic spe- 
cies in vitro. However, their suggestion that such specific action 
on parasitic organisms may follow the splitting off of the benzol 
