CO885-9 — Page 225

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CO. 885

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Pycronotus leucotis. Pycnonotus lencogemys. Thalassochelys caretta. Sciurus palmamm.

Dacelo gigantea.

Cercopithecus ponsarguei.

Felis pardalis. Turnix tanki.

Peramelis obseula. Casuarnis westermanii. Apteryx mantelli.

Nestor notabilis. Pynhocorax alpenus. Euplectes afer.

Papio hamademyas. Dasypus villosus.

Cornella getula.

Tarentola annularis. Cebus fatuellus.

Ajaja rosea.

"Cercopithecus calletrichus.

Cercopithecus wolfi. Platalea leucorodia. Cercoleptes candivolvolus. Cynomycterus collaris.

Bucorvus caffer. Pteromys inornatus.

Uromastis acanthinurus.

Herpestes griseus.

Dasypus sexcinctus.

Lophius piscatorius.

Coetus sp?

Gobius minutus.

Gadus virens.

In a great many instances the animals had been too long dead to permit of a satisfactory blood examination for filarial parasites. About twenty species were, however, so examined microscopically. The films were stained with (a) hæmatoxylin and eosin and others of the same species with (b) Romanowsky's stain.

The only positive result obtained was from a West African monkey (Cerco- pithecus Campbelli).

In the connective tissues, especially that underlying the abdominal skin, I found several adult filaria, some about six inches long. Both male and female specimens were obtained, the latter preponderating considerably. The blood was immediately examined, and films made from the heart blood. When stained with Delafeld's hæmatoxylin they were found to contain numerous filaria embryos, unsheathed and inarkedly similar to the embryo Filaria Demarquai found in the blood of natives in the West Indies. The embryos in the blood of Cercopithecus Campbelli, on measurement, are a little smaller than the Demarquai embryos, but appear to be identical with filaria embryos described by Ross in the blood of a monkey (of undetermined species) in Uganda, and to which Low gave the name Filaria Rossi eighteen months ago.

Interest lies in the fact that so far these embryos have been met with but once, and then in a different part of Africa, and that the filaria adults have not been found up to the present time.

As regards systematic study in the various helminthological groups, I am able to report progress with a scheme for synopsizing the specific descriptions of parasite worms and their literature.

Such work must necessarily extend over the spare moments of many months, but when concluded should prove of value in the identification of the large number of creatures classified together under the term "Helminthes." The work during the

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summer has been upon the order Trematoda, particularly upon the genera Monos- tomum, Distomum, and also among the Nematoda. I have accumulated notes and references to the species comprising the genera Ascaris and Filaria, which have been described to date.

At the end of June I received instructions to prepare to sail in August on a visit to the West Coast of Africa. It should therefore be stated that the work herein summarised comprises really that of the first three months of the period covered by the Report.

I am, &c.,

ROBERT THOmson LeipeR.

P.S.-I notice that Professor Looss has, since the above Report was written, published a note on the Pygmy parasites. His observations and conclusions are in agreement with my own, save that he found many more parasites. As the Pygmies were placed under helminthic treatment in Cairo in connection with his researches, my observation on the somewhat remarkable scarcity of parasites receives justification.

SIR,

Enclosure 2 in No. 63.

The Protozoological Department,

ROBERT THOMSON LEIPER.

London School of Tropical Medicine, September 25, 1905.

HAVE the honour of submitting my report from the Protozoological Depart- ment for the work done during the last four and a-half months, since my appoint- ment to the post of Protozoologist.

As was desired by the School Committee, I have taken out the general course of instruction given in the School. During that time I paid special attention to the study of malaria, dysentery, kala azar, trypanosomiasis, and other protozoal diseases. In Malaria I determined the life histories of the Benign, Tertian, and Quartan, and the Malignant Tertian parasites, and studied their characteristics as far as cases in the wards would permit. I also examined and studied prepara- tions exhibiting the life history of malarial parasites in the mosquito. There was ample opportunity of studying the Amoeba Coli of dysentery and tropical abscess in the living and prepared states. I examined various organs of cases of kala azar and determined the presence of the intracellular parasite in the spleen and liver and studied their characteristic features.

Trypanosomiasis was studied in various animals, and a case of human trypano- somiasis in the wards enabled me to study the Trypanosoma of sleeping sickness, and in conjunction to study the clinical features of the disease.

I further studied the Piroplasma bigeminum, the parasite of redwater or Texas fever of cattle, and the protozoal parasites of the blood of birds, viz., the Hæmamoeba relicta, and the Hamamoeba danilewskyi.

During the course I attended the clinical demonstrations of the visiting physicians and surgeons in the wards of the branch hospital attached to the School, and also in the pathological department, with the object of familiarising myself with tropical disease in its clinical and pathological aspect.

Beyond the work of the class I have been engaged in research on other lines. I have been confirming the work of Cueonot and others on the life history of Monocystis agilis and Monocystis magna-gregarines parasitic in the vesicula seminales of the earthworm, with the object of determining the mode of infection. I have also studied the life history of the Balantidium coli from the rectum of Triton cristatus, and Trichodina from the bladder of the same animal.

I have also examined for protozoal parasites the following animals :-Tropi- donotus matrix, Tritin cristatus, several doves from the Amazon, specimens of the Glossary calornis, an armadillo, a baboon (Papio hæmadryas), many species of fish, crustacea, worms and insects.

There has not been sufficient time to arrive at any definite results, nor for the publication of any papers on protozoal subjects.

The object of the study of protozoology is the elucidation of the complicated life histories and physiology of the Protozoa, so many of which are causes of disease in man and animals, so that steps may be taken to determine some remedy for the