J. W, S. Macfie 
27o 
gonorrhoeal discharge, and all recent exposure to gonorrhoeal infection 
was denied. There was no pain on passing water and no local tenderness 
was admitted. On examining the discharge it was found to contain 
innumerable spirochaetes. It is probable that the patient had had 
gonorrhoea shortly before his illness began, and the joint pains com¬ 
plained of may have been connected with this, but at the time he 
came under observation he was not suffering from this disease. 
The discharge continued to be abundant until the 2nd August 
when it was only slight and on the following day it had ceased. The 
discharge, therefore, persisted for six days. The treatment given 
during this period was two intramuscular injections of ^ gr. per- 
chloride of mercury on 31st July and 1st August respectively^ 
The Movements of the Spirochaetes and other Features 
OBSERVED DURING LiFE. 
The spirochaetes were very active, moving with great rapidity 
about the field of the microscope or lashing out in all directions in a 
relatively restricted area. The movements as is frequently the case 
could be analysed into components, namely lashing movements, undu- 
latory flexions of the body, and corkscrew or helicoid movements; 
and in addition Catherine-wheel-like movements were common. In 
very active organisms the lashing and undulant movements pre¬ 
dominated and obscured the helicoid motion to a great extent. In less 
vigorous spirochaetes the undulations were seen to be most marked 
at the extremities, the middle portion of the parasite being relatively 
infrequently flexed. Spirochaetes exhibiting active lashing a#d un¬ 
dulant movements appeared to have relatively few coils, but as their 
movements slowed down the number of coils increased so that the 
quiescent organisms were always seen to have a well coiled body. 
This was I believe due to the helicoid movement persisting after the 
lashings and undulatory flexions had ceased, but whatever the true 
explanation may have been there was no doubt about the fact that 
the quiescent organisms showed a great number of coils. So far as 
the undulant waves were concerned, however, it was the most active 
spirochaetes that showed the greatest number. 
1 In a letter dated 30. ix. 1916, Dr Macfie states “That the patient returned to 
hospital a month later with severe iritis, and it was feared for some days that he would 
lose the sight of both eyes, but after an injection of galyl he began to improve rapidly, 
and, with a continuance of treatment by bichloride of mercury injections, made a com¬ 
plete recovery. This is rather interesting in view of the frequency of iritis in other 
spirochaetoses.”—E d. 
