Entamoeba gingivalis 
:)48 
that the bodies are the product of certain definite leucocytes, namely 
the salivary corpuscles. 
Craig’s suggestion mentioned above, that the black bodies sur¬ 
rounded by a clear zone are some protozoan or yeast-like organism, 
receives no support from our observations, and seems to us unnecessary. 
We do not wish to assert that yeasts may never be ingested by the 
amoebae, for we have found a few small yeast-cells on smears made 
from the healthy gums of the child of one of us (T. G.). A few amoebae 
are present on these films, and show the usual round deeply staining 
bodies amongst the ingesta but not yeasts. The bodies under discussion 
are also quite distinct in appearance from the yeast-cells which may 
frequently be found ingested by Entamoeba coli, in smears made from 
faeces. A drawing of one of these is shown in PI. XXI, fig. 15. 
Description of Cases. 
1. Child, male, aged 2. Healthy mouth and gums. Smears taken 
from gum margin. Amoebae present. 
2. Girl, aged 5. Sent by Dr Waller from the Birmingham General 
Hospital to the Dental Hospital, with the extremely rare condition in 
the deciduous dentition of the progressive loosening and loss of tem¬ 
porary teeth, one after another in both jaws, the teeth being shed with 
no absorption of the roots whatsoever. The disease appeared to com¬ 
mence in the gum, extending to the bone of the socket and the peri¬ 
odontal membrane, being finally cast off with the total destruction of 
the latter structure. The condition is analogous to pyorrhoea alveo- 
laris in the permanent dentition. 
The amoeba was found in the discharge squeezed from between the 
gum and an affected tooth; and amongst the debris collected from the 
end of the root of the lower right canine which was loose enough to be 
picked from its socket with the fingers. 
3. Boy, aged 13. Teeth in a shocking state of irregularity, and 
very carious. He had been wearing appliances for the regulation of 
teeth for some time. The mouth was very badly kept, materia alba 
accumulating over the buccal and labial surfaces of the teeth producing 
very rapid and extensive caries. The gums were inflamed on the buccal 
and labial surfaces of both jaws but no pockets existed. Amoebae not 
present. 
4. Girl, aged 10. Mouth well-kept, gums healthy. An orange- 
stained deposit on the labial surface of the erupting lower right canine 
was examined, but no amoebae were found. 
