Abstract
Shepard (1960) claimed the successful transmission of M leprae into the mouse footpad. In particular, this work has been confirmed by ourselves in Japan, even the use of Japanese mice and lepromas of Japanese patients.
Limited multiplications of M leprae were observed too in the mice foot-pads inoculated with five passage strains which were isolated by Shepard, but could not be observed in mouse inoculated with the emulsion of leproma, Ph-strain which was administered in Philippine, because it may be caused that the acillary number of M leprae was only 103 per one mouse, in spite of the loss of bacillary viability in the emulsion of leproma.
Comparison of the passages isolated by Shepard with the authors isolates (Suzuki strain etc.) did not show significant differences in the multiplication rate or in the total amount of bacilli obtainable.
It may be concluded that the passages isolated by Shepard were identified as M . leprae as the isolates by ourselves.
