198 
A SHORT LABORATORY STUDY OF SPIROCHAETA 
I OTERO HA EMORR HAGJAE. 
By Deputy Surgeon General P. W. BASSETT-SMITH, 
C.B., C.M.G., R.N., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.P. 
(With Plate IX and 1 Chart.) 
The occurrence of cases of spirochaetal jaundice from time to time in our 
over-seas forces, and the genera] interest of spirochaetal affections at the 
present time, both in man and animals, are my excuse for offering the 
following notes. 
On the 21st March, this year, while in Paris and discussing the etiology of 
trench fever, Dr Pettit was kind enough to show me animals infected with 
the icterohaemorrhagica spirochaete and the cultured organisms under 
dark-ground illumination. He also gave me a living culture of the spirochaete 
in rabbit sertim medium and some anti-serum prepared at the Pasteur Institute. 
On arrival at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, six days afterwards a 
guinea-pig (No. 1) was inoculated subcutaneously from the culture which 
had been kept at room temperature, the culture then showed abundant 
active forms of the “Leptospira” type (Nogouchi), also some contaminating 
cocci. On the 7th day a few spirochaetes were found in the animal’s urine 
and the conjunctivae were slightly tinged. There were no spirochaetes in the 
blood but the red cells showed marked basophilic stippling. The animal then 
began to improve, no spirochaetes being again found in the blood and urine, 
and on the 24th day as it appeared quite well it was killed. The organs were 
normal and no evidence of jaundice was present. Blood and urine examined 
by dark-ground illumination and Fontana methods, and the organs by 
Levaditi all gave negative results for spirochaetes, and cultures into rabbit 
serum were also negative. Guinea-pigs (No. 2), however, were inoculated 
subcutaneously, one with fresh heart-blood and one with urine. The former 
showed no signs of infection and was killed on the 27th day and its serum 
preserved. The latter on the 9th morning appeared very ill with jaundice 
and irregular breathing; it died on the same day. Post Mortem. Subcutaneous 
tissues were moist, yellow, and haemorrhagic, kidneys intensely congested, 
spleen very friable, liver pale, and embryos in uterus dead. The heart-blood 
showed abundant spirochaetes. 
Guinea-pigs (No. 3) were inoculated with heart-blood and urine; both of 
these developed the disease and died on the 7th day. Post mortem condition, 
