Page:The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Volume 9.djvu/482

360 Nuttallia Ninense among Hedgehogs in iV.-TF. F. V. Normoblasts were present in the blood in fair numbers and 'Howell- Joliy bodies ' were present in spleen smears.

The ijarasites occurred in the red blood cells. Yakimoff described parasites in erythroblasts, but none were found in this situation in my cases, possibly because the infections were not severe.

Apart from the 'division rosettes,' usually only one jjarasite was found in a cell, but occasionally more were present. (Figs. 7, and 35—37, Plates XXVI and XXVII.)

Both Yakimoff and Galli-Valerio described jiarasites free in the blood, but only on one occasion was I able to find a definite free parasite.

When stained with Giemsa's stain, the protoplasm took on a blue colour and was more condensed and deeply stained at the periphery while there was usually a lighter area, often unstained, in the neighbourhood of the nucleus. The p)rotoplasm was voluminous in comparison with the nucleus, especially in the larger forms.

In some of the parasites the protoplasm had an irregular outline, these irregularities were probably due to the amoeboid activity of the l>arasites. (Figs. 33 and 34, Plate XXVII.)

The nucleus stained a deep carmine red and consisted of a solid mass of chromatin usually round in shape but becoming elongated in the dividing forms. The position of the nucleus was usually Ijeripheral, but in a few rare cases it was central. (Figs. 35 and 37 Plate XXVII.)

The intracellular parasites may be divided into (1) small-sized forms, (2) intermediate-sized forms and (3) large-sized forms —
 * (1) Small-sized intracellular parasites :

These occur in three shapes, (a) ringshaped, (ft) oval and (c) elongated or rod-like forms.
 * (a) The ring forms were of the ' signet -ring ' type and varied in

size from 07/n to 1/n in diameter. (Figs. 1 and 2, Plate XXVI.)

They usually occurred singly in a corpuscle but may be accompanied by other forms. (Fig. 37, Plate XXVII.)
 * (b) The oval or oat-shaped forms measured about l/u. long by

O'Sft broad (Figs. 3 and 4, Plate XXVI). This was the common type in ' division rosettes. " (Figs. 27-30, Plate XXVII). In some cases one end was more pointed than the other, but the typical piriform