A SARCOCYST OF A GAZELLE {G. RUFIFRONS) 
SHOWING DIFFERENTIATION OF SPORES BY 
VITAL STAINING. 
By ANDREW BALFOUR, C.M.G., M.D., B.Sc., F.R.C.P.E, D.RH. 
{Director, Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories, Gordon College, 
Khartoum.) 
(With Plates VIII and IX.) 
In May 1912 when on the way with our Floating Laboratory to 
Rejaf, en route for the sleeping sickness district in what was formerly 
the Lado Enclave (now part of Mongalla Province), the late Colonel 
Mathias shot, near Renkwood station on the White Nile, two specimens 
of the Senegal or red-fronted gazelle —Gazella rujifrons. I found one 
of these animals, a female in good condition, heavily infected with 
sarcosporidiosis, the diaphragm, the intercosted muscles and those of 
the thigh being specially affected, though the striped muscle fibre 
everywhere contained cysts in varying numbers. In the light of the 
observations made by Probst and Francis (1910) the blood was carefully 
examined but no sarcosporidial spores were found in it nor were any 
blood parasites present. 
I am not aware that sarcosporidial infection has hitherto been found 
in this species of gazelle though, as Teichmann (1912) states, it has 
been discovered in the stag and the roe-deer, while recently, Ross 
(1910) in British East Africa has described a sarcocyst in Grant’s 
gazelle— G. granti. Hence, although it was not possible to carry out 
any extensive investigation of the condition, it seems desirable to give 
some description of the parasite and more especially to deal with certain 
observations made by the aid of vital staining with toluidin blue. 
In the first place it may be said that the muscle cysts or so-called 
“ Miescher’s tubes” which possessed fairly thick and tough walls measured, 
