V Table II— c o n t .
S e r i a l n u m b e
Date of
despatch.
Number
of
p r e g - n a n c y .
History of former
pregnancy.
Notes of foetus. Result of examination.
Remarks.
1910.
32 13th Oct.
1st
. . . .
Macerated
6½ months.
Negative
..
.. No history of
syphilis in mother
or father.
33
14th ,,
4th
First natural but had. snuf-
fles.
Macerated. 6
months.
Negative
..
.. History of syphilis
in husband.
Second still macerated.
Third alive.
34 17th „
4th
First and. second at home
natural.
Macerated .. Negative
..
.. No history of
syphilis in either
parent.
Third hospital natural
..
First and third died. at six
months of Rosealar-rash.
Second at three months of
fever.
35
26th „
9th
All natural ; sixth, seventh
and eighth still born.
Macerated
Placenta
nodular.
Negative
..
.. No history of
syphilis in either
parent.
36 3rd Nov.
3rd
Both natural ..
..
Macerated .. Negative
..
.. No history of
syphilis.
37 19th „
5th
All macerated
..
.. Macerated .. Spirochaetes present in
fair numbers in liver,
nil in kidney, brain
epiphyse
No history of
syphilis.
38 29th „
4th
All natural ..
..
.. Macerated. .. Negative
..
.. i No history of
syphilis.
39 19th „
3rd
All natural
..
.. Macerated .. Spirochaetes in fair
numbers in liver
. scanty in kidney, nil
in brain, epiphyses.
History of syphilis
in both parents
.
40 11th Dec.
1st
....
Macerated .. Negative
..
.. No history of
syphilis.
It will be seen that in no less than ten, that is in 25 per cent. of the cases, the
spirochæta pallida was demonstrated. That in so large a proportion of the cases the
condition was associated with the presence of the organism of syphilis seems to point
to this organism being the cause of the condition in most if not all the cases, and that
the failure to demonstrate it may have been due to accidental circumstances. Such a
cause may have been imperfect acquaintance with the technique of the method used
in the preparation of the specimens, which is a somewhat complicated one. This idea
is borne out by the distribution of the positive cases. Only three or 15 per cent. occur
i n t he f i r s t t we nt y; s e ve n or 35 pe r c e nt . oc c ur i n t he s e c ond t we nt y. Anot he r c a us e
may be unsuitability of the condition of the case at the time of examination. It is
more than likely that the parasite will cease to be demonstrable in the very early
stages of putrefaction. The three which showed signs of putrefaction, Nos. 4, 7 and
21, all gave negative results, and it may very well be that others in which putre
- f a c t i v e c h a n g e s w e r e n o t n o t e d w e r e s t i l l , s o,
f a r a d v a n c e d i n t h e p r o c e s s a s t o h a v e
caused the disappearance of the organism. No. 10 was wrongly included in the
series. The findings whether positive or negative cannot be said to correspond with
the history as elicited, but it must be remembered in this connection that a positive
history positively indicates syphilis, while a negative history by no means excludes
it. In the only case with a syphilitic history in both parents the organism was
demonstrated in the macerated fœtus. In two eases where the germ was found there
was a history of syphilis in the father, Nos. 23 and 28; in the latter of these the
history was a recent one. On the other hand, a syphilitic history of the father is
reported in cases 25 and 33 and the organism could not be demonstrated. Case 18
with a syphilitic history in the mother was also negative. In all the other cases,
whether the germ was present or not, no history of syphilis was obtained or nothing
was learned in this respect. The investigation is being continued.
Bacterial vaccines for prophylacticu s e . — T h e o n l y v a c c i n e o f t h i s d e s c r i p t i o n
that was prepared was anti-typhoid. There was a small demand for it. As a rule
three injections of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 million bacilli were given. These doses are
very small compared with what used. to be given in the early days of anti-typhoid.
inoculation, and little or no discomfort was caused by them.