Page:Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, volume 1.djvu/75

Rh cure if the parasite had reached the involution stage; it would be useless, he believed, if the parasite was still active. As to Dr. Sambon's mention of recurrence, he did not recollect having seen reports of any such cases; but it was now believed that diagnosis of Oriental sore must be verified by the microscope. [Dr. Sambon here stated that the cases were reported by Dr. Vandyke Carter.] Perhaps the explanation of the fact that Oriental sore was often a town disease was that there is a large number of pariah dogs in many Eastern cities, and they are extremely liable to the disease. With regard to what Dr. Fremantle said, the lesion might be local, but the disease general; they had not to go far to seek parallels, for syphilis was one. As to the X-rays and Finsen-light treatment, he remembered one case of Oriental sore which had been diagnosed as lupus, and treated by X-rays with disastrous results. Severe inflammation had set in, and the patient's condition was much aggravated. Leeches, he thought, as suggested by Dr. MacDonald, could not transmit Oriental sore. There were no leeches in the sandy districts where Oriental sore was so prevalent; but it might be difiierent with regard to kala-azar, which preferred damp, jungly, alluvial districts as areas of prevalence.