Abstract
Living and heat-killed human and murine leprosy bacilli, tubercle bacilli, and several kinds of non-pathogenic acid-fast bacilli were inoculated into the testicles of mice. The mice were sacrificed periodically with definite intervals for the counting of the bacilli present in the inoculated testicles. Changes observed in the number of the bacilli were examined by drawing curves. Stated in the following are the findings obtained thereof. 1. Human leprosy bacilli inoculated into the testicles of mice reduced in number when heat-killed bacilli were used, but remained for a period over 300 days without appreciable reduce in the number when living bacilli were used. (Fig. 4) 2. Fate of the heat-killed murine leprosy bacilli was similar to that of living human leprosy bacilli without showing a decrease in the number of inoculated bacilli for a period over nearly 100 days. 3. Both living BCG and heat-killed tubercle bacilli H37Rv reduced gradually in number.Reverse cultivation of the living BCG, however, was positive as long as 90 days after inoculation. Non-pathogenic acid-fast bacilli, Smegma and M-III, showed a rapid reduce in the number in either case of living or heat-killed. With living bacilli, however, reverse cultivation was positive, in both cases, as long as 70 days. (Fig. 9)
