328 
accompanied by passing of the products of degeneration into the 
cerebrospinal fluid, and of these nucleo-proteid and choline 
(decomposition product of lecithin) are those which can be most 
readily detected. 
This is not peculiar to general paralysis of the insane, but 
choline can be detected in various other nerve degenerations. 
The point of-peculiar interest is that the pathological changes 
in general paralysis of the insane and sleeping sickness are more or 
less similar. The test used for choline was that of Mott and 
Halliburton, viz., the production of characteristic octohedral 
crystals of the platinum double salt from the alcoholic extracts of 
the cerebrospinal fluid. The result was positive. 
Control tests were made with the 15 per cent, alcohol and 
absolute alcohol used in the original test, but these were negative. 
VII. Blood. 
With the above test it was found that choline was absent in the 
blood. 
VIII. Absence of choline in the blood of animals infected with the 
parasite of the case. 
The test applied was the modified method of Mott.* It 
consisted in the formation of the brownish-black rectangular plates 
of choline periodide. 
The number of the trypanosomes per mm. 3 at the time of the 
expei iment and before death of the animals are given below. 
Trypanosomes at the time 
of the experiment 
Trypanosomes before 
death 
Rat 1.—Weight 182 grams . 
20,085 P er mm. 8 
126,000 per mm. 3 
„ 2. — Weight 220 grams . 
56,320 „ 
100,400 „ 
Guinea-Pig 1.—952 grams . 
3,328 
6,000 „ 
„ 2.—880 grams 
4 , 4*6 
30,720 „ 
Two control rats ... . 
0 
0 
* Lancet , July 9, 1910, p. 80. 
