Page:The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Volume 9.djvu/481



(From the Protozoological Laboratory, London School of Tropical Medicine.) [Received for publication, March 11, 1921.]

On two occasiqps (August, 1914 and August, 1915) I had the opportunity of examining smears from the blood and organs of two liedgehogs {Erinaceus sp.) at Kohat, North-West Frontier Province, and on both occasions, the animals were found to be infected with a species of piroplasm.

The parasite was almost certainly that described by YakiniofP(') in the hedgehog (Erinaceus curopaeus) from Saratow in Russia and called by him Piroplasma niiiense, Yakiniof!, 1909. A similar parasite was described by Galli-Valerio(2) in blood smears from a hedgehog (Erinaceus algirus) from Tunis, which he thinks is probably the same as the species described by YakimoS, but if it turns out to be a different species, he wishes it to be called Piroplasma weissi.

In neither of the animals from Kohat was the infection severe. The parasites were found in smears from the blood, liver, spleen and bonemarrow and were most numerous in the spleen smears.

The blood smears showed a well-marked polychromasia, but there was no very evident poikilocytosis although the rcil blood cells showed coiuiiderable variations in size. (Figs. 27 and 30, I'late XXVll.) ( 309 )