288 
Oriental Sore 
of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow of each dog, w'ere taken back to 
the laboratory where they were examined microscopically for the typical 
parasite of Kala azar or the sore. In no instance was I successful in 
finding the Leishman-Donovan bodies, so that if the dog acts as an 
alternative host for the sore parasite, as it apparently does for the 
parasite of infantile Kala azar in North Africa and elsewhere, the 
percentage of infected dogs must be very low indeed and quite out of 
proportion to the number of cases of sore occurring in man. If the dog 
is an alternative host, one would expect to find the number of infected 
dogs approaching the number of infected human beings. The fact that 
no typical sore was found in any of these dogs throws no light on the 
question as to whether the Oriental sore is a purely local skin affection 
or a general infection representing a mild variety of Kala azar. At any 
rate, we can safely say that infections of this kind if they occur are 
very rare amongst the street dogs of Bagdad, a fact that does not lend 
support to the view that the dog acts as a reservoir for the parasite 
which is carried from them, to men by some biting insect. The 
number of infected human beings is so great that they themselves act 
as centres of infection for others, and it is not necessary, in order to 
account for the incidence of the disease, to assume that the dog fulfils 
the role so often attributed to it. Though the dog may not act in this 
mannei’, it is possible that it may sometimes suffer from the sore in 
the ordinary way. However, such a case has not come under my notice. 
By banishing the dogs from the streets, the Bagdad authorities 
have unknowingly carried out an interesting experiment. Assuming 
that the dogs act as a reservoir for the sore parasite, then their removal 
should bring about a great diminution in the number of human beings 
infected. The result of this experiment can be only apparent after 
some time. 
The examination of this series of one hundred and ten dogs has 
shown that nearly every one is infected wdth the leucocytic haemo- 
gregarine first found by Bentley in India. The reproducing forms of 
this parasite were to be found in the spleen and bone marrow and in 
the ticks taken from the dog. The development of this pai’asite will 
form the subject of a later section of this report. 
Piroplasmosis is common amongst the Bagdad dogs, which are 
generally in a very filthy condition and covered wdth fleas, ticks, and 
flies belonging to the group of the Hippohoscidae. 
Inoculation of dogs. All attempts at inoculating dogs with the 
disease have failed. Dogs of all ages were used, from very young 
