UI'ethral Sp it ‘och aeton is 
288 
The occurrence of groups of coccoid bodies liberated from spiro- 
chaetes has been observed in the cells lining the air passages in infections 
with S. bronchialis. Fantham (1914 and 1915) has interpreted these 
as being the cross-infective stage; but in view of the observations 
made on the urethral spirochaete described here it seems possible 
.Vn 
f 
17 ^ 
16 
15 
Fiff. IV. Life-cycle of Spirochafla urethrae Macfie (diagrammafic). (1-11), stages found 
in the urethral discharge; (1-5), transverse division; (6-0), longitudinal division; 
(10-11), cross-infection stage. (12-19), intracellular phase; (12), formation of 
coccoid bodies in a urethral cell; (13), multiplication of the coccoid bodies; (14), 
development of a coccoid body into (15) a bacillary form; (16), a spirilla form, and 
(17-18), small spirochaetes; (19), final stage of the intracellular phase, a spirochaete 
ready to escape from the cell. 
that there may be a similar intracellular phase in the life-cycle of 
S. bronchialis and possibly of other pathogenic spirochaetes also. 
Nomenclature. A large number of spirochaetes have been described 
in association with lesions of the genital organs, but so far as I am aware 
none has previously been observed iii the urethra. 
Urethral chancres are by no means rare in syphilitic infections 
aud in such cases one would expect to find Treponema pallidum and 
