8
d ' a v o i r c r e e c e t t e f a u s s e c o n c e p t i o n d ' A m i b e n o n p a t h o g e n e . ' I I n ' e s t p a s c e r t a i n q u e
I'Ent. coli soit un parasite aussi inoffensif qu'on le croit. Et Gasser, quelque sceptique, qu'il
p u i s s e ê t r e s u r l e r l e p a t h o g è n e d e s a m i b e s a t o u t d e m ê m e c o n s t a t é , 4 5 f o i s s u r 1 0 9 c a s d e
d y s e n t é r i e , l a p r e s e n c e d e I ' E n t . c o l i ( c i t é p a r P a t r i c k M a n s o n ) . D ' a i l l e u r s a - t - o n j u s q u ' i c i
e x a m i n é s y s t e m a t i q u e m e n t l e s s e l l e s d a n s l e s c a s d e d y s e n t é r i e n o s t r a s ? E s t - o n s û r q u e l à
on I'Ent. histolytica fût diagnostique iI ne s'agissait pas par fois d'autres espèces ? Viereck
l d i t a v o i r t r o u v é s o n A m i b e c h e z d e s p e r s o n n e s n o n d y s e n t é r i q u e c o m m e s d ' a u t r e s q u i o n t
fait des observations analogues concernant les autres Amibes connues."
On this point Dofiein 2 states " That Musgrave and Clegg have come to the.
concl usi on f rom i nf ect i ons produced by amœbæ cul t i vat ed on art i f i ci al medi a t hat
all free living amœbæ introduced into the intestine of animals can become patho
- g e n i c . W h i l e t h i s i s c e r t a i n l y g o i n g t o o f a r , I a m o f o p i n i o n t h a t t h e q u e s t i o n ,
whet her many f r ee l i vi ng amœbæ may, i n sui t abl e cul t ur e, be t r ansf or med i nt o
pathogenic forms, is still open to discussion."
Koidzurni 3, also, described a species of amœbæ found in dysentery, which
he believes is new to science, and calls it Entamœba nipponica.
(a) Methods and Plan of Work.
In approaching this difficult subject we followed certain definite lines. The
fresh stool in each case of dysentery was examined microscopically for the presence
o r a b s e n c e o f a mœb æ a n d a p o r t i o n o f t h e s t o o l w a s s t r o k e d o n t h e a g a r me d i u m
of Musgrave and Clegg, which had been poured previously into Petri plates and
al l owed t o dry, and i n t hi s way cul t ures of amœbæ were obt ai ned. I t was f ound
that the intestinal bacteria, ordinarily present in the stools, acted as symbiotic
organisms, and it was not necessary to use other strains. The amœbæ in the cul
-tures obtained were studied carefully in the fresh condition, and after fixation
and staining. The pus from cases of liver abscess was treated in the same way.
Cultures of amœbæ were made, also, from normal human fæces, sputum, collect
-ions of pus, the tap water of Bombay, and the stools (Appendix, Table II) and
alimentary tract of various animals, e.g., monkeys, rats, rabbits, guineapigs, etc.
In this way we obtained a considerable amount of information regarding the
morphol ogy, l i f e cycl e, and di st ri but i on of amœbæ. The ef f ect s of f eedi ng ani mal s
o n c u l t u r e s o f a m œb æ w e r e n o t e d a l s o . B e f o r e p r o c e e d i n g t o d i s c u s s t h e q u e s t i o n s
connected with the morphology and the life cycle of the amœbæ observed, and
their relation to disease, it will be well to record certain broad facts regarding the
seasonal prevalence of amœbæ and its relation to temperature and humidity.
1. Med. Klinik. 1906, No. 41.
2 Lehrbuch der Protozœnkunde. Dofl ei n 1909. P. 513.
3 Cent r al b. f . Bakt . , et c. , I Or i g. Bd. 51 Hef t . 6, 1909.