55i 
In the ordinary course of events the infected animal shows 
parasites in its blood for some time before a distinct auto¬ 
agglutination develops. Occasionally, however, auto-agglutination 
appears before trypanosomes have been found in the blood. I have 
had under observation a goat, infected with T. gambiense , in which 
trypanosomes have never been seen in the blood, but in which a 
well-marked auto-agglutination had developed. I he blood was 
shown to be infective by injection into rats. 
The last point to be decided in considering the value of the 
phenomenon as a diagnostic sign is whether it occurs in other 
diseases besides trypanosomiasis. In addition to the three cases 
mentioned by Todd, auto-agglutination has occasionally been noted 
in persons suffering from other diseases than sleeping sickness. 
Klein,* in 1890, found auto-agglutination of the red blood cells 
in a case of hepatic cirrhosis (Hanot). Dudgeont mentions the 
case of a West Indian negro which was considered to be one of 
tertiary hepatic syphilis, where the blood exhibited spontaneous 
clumping. He also found auto-agglutinin in the blood of a case 
of long standing epilepsy. Martin and Darre + assert that the 
phenomenon is to be met with in certain forms of icterus due 
haemolysis. . ( 
Ouite recently Nattan-Larrierg described the existence o 
auto-agglutination in rats infected with the Spirilla obernnerea. It 
is interesting to note in this connection that of Todd’s three cases 
which exhibited well marked auto-agglutination, but were no 
infected with trypanosomes, one was a case of 1 elapsing e\er 
another a case of syphilis, as was also the only definite ins an ^ e 
the phenomenon seen by Dudgeon. It is of importance 0 
whether auto-agglutination is often present in spirochaeta 
infections. . , f u p 
In conclusion it may be stated that m the hgh ' *£ 
information obtainable a well-marked degree of auto-agglutaabon 
of the red blood cells is an extremely rare occurrence, apart from 
infection with trypanosomes. - --- 7-7- 
~ -V Ueb „d- - — -•" BedcutU ° S Jie Prakt '“ ‘ 
Medicin,’ Wien. Klin. Woch.. 1890, No*. 3 <>- 4 0 - 
1 Mt"'. Mmoirct S«. MM. d» Hop! it»ox MPjrjK ^ ^ p lth . Ex... 
§ ‘ L’ Autoagglutination dr* Hemat.c* dan* la Sp.nUose p 
1910, p. 425. 
