LEPROSY CERMS IN RATS.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12681, 28 October 1909, Page 4

LEPROSY CERMS IN RATS.

! Some years ago t-lio discovery of ; leprosy germs in the body of a rat was made m India, and occupied the attention of medical men in that country \ and in New York. In Japan during the present year two doctors have [ found similar germs in rats in Osaka , and Kumamoto. According to a Japanese paper, the "Asalii," the first discovery was made ! public in April last, when Dr. Kawamura read a paper on the subject at a ' meeting of medical men at the Tokyo Infectious Diseases Hospital. Later on a similar discovery was made at the I Kumamoto Medical College. Dr. Ich--1 ihara, director of the Fusan Infectious [ Diseases Hospital, also foiiHd leprosy germs in rats recently. He examined 500 animals, two of which worn found [ to contain the germs. I Another leading doctor, Dr. Sliiba- ' yama, is much interested in the matter, and has himself been conducting investigations. He calculates that one rat out of every three of fom 1 thousand coiitains the germs. A dead > rat whose hair has come out and whose tail is oaten away has almost iuvari--1 ably been found to contain the germs. 1 In ©very rat affected with the disease ' the lymphatic glands have been found ; to be swollen, but not in the same way i as in the case of plague. Tho leprosy germ in the rat very I closely rescmblos in form that fo\ind • in man. It is not yet known whether ■ the germs are identical and what connection there is between the two, and it is not yet practicable to cultivate i those of tho rat for testing purposes. : Dr. Shibayama intends experimenting by injecting the germs into a monkey. . If the experiment succeeds he intends ■ to replant the leprosy germ found in man m animals in order to study the i connection between the various germs.