Though it is difficult to determine the generation time required for proliferation of the murine leprosy bacillus in the host because of the influence of complex inhibitory factors and growth factors of the host, it is possible to calculate a rough estimate of the number of days.
The authors inoculated the mouse and rat intratesticularly with a constant number of murine leprosy bacillus, resected the testes after a set interval, emulsified the material, prepared smears, counted the number of organisms microscopically and obtained the following results. As shown in Fig. 1. 7.7 days were required for 1 generation in the mouse testes and 4-5.5 days were required in the rat, as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

抄録全体を表示

The greatest problem in the propagation of human and murine leprosy bacilli in cells in test tubes, is the difficulty in coinciding the rate of growth of the organism and that of the cell. In attempts to overcome this, the optimum temperature for adequte growth and prolonged viability of the cell and the best time to inoculate the cell with bacteria without interfering with its growth were examined.
As shown in Fig. 1, the optimal temperature was 33°C and the best time for inoculation was 2-3 days after separation of the cells as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The phagocytic activity of the L cell and bacterial proliferation were shown in photograms.

抄録全体を表示

In recent years, a substantial number of leprosy patients have been rehabilitated to Society from the hospital, due to the fact that it is now possible to arrest the disease, and then, to give orthopedic treatment for disturbance of function and malformation of extremities. However, social rehabilitation involves many difficulties peculiar to this ldisease.
Let me report on our research of rehabilitation of patients in the National Leprosarium Kikuchi Keifu-en. First, in regard to the number of patients studied, 168 patients were rehabilitated to society from the Leprosarium between the years 1956 and 1961, especially after 1959.
The disfunction and malformation of the extremities begins with paralysis and follows the pathological changes of leprosy.
We must start physical therapy as soon as possible, as the prevention and treatment of this condition. But, if we do not get satisfactory results from this therapy, we must use surgical procedures, for example, tendon-transfer, hinter arthrolysis and so on.
Not only to know the condition of muscles, bones and joints, but also to understand the daily living requirements of the individual person is a very important surgical consideration. If we do not investigate these conditions, we can not achieve satisfactory function for daily life.
The improvement of function of the hand is the most important in making daily life easier.
The findings of rentgengram of amputated leg are very important for the application of prothesis, because of rescorption, atrophy and addition of bone.
The fixed drop lip due to the paralysis of the facial nerve may be treated by surgery, for example, rhytidectomy, Z-plastic, transplantation of fascia and transfer of muscle. Especially, the transfer of m. masseter or m. temporalis is useful for improvement of function of the lip, since there are no pathological changes in electromyogram of these muscles.
The problem of personality in leprosy is very important for social recovery, the same as in the case of crippledness. The observation of personality tells us that the patients are very different compared with healthy persons in regard to somatic inferiority complex.
1) They have somatic inferiority complex even without the malformation or disfunction of extremities. 2) They have deep inferiority complex with cosmetic difficulties in the face. 3)Child patients have no somatic inferiority complex, in spite of severe disfunction of extremities.Conclusions
I) The morbid condition of the patient, which impedes social recovery, must be treated not only somatically, but psychologically.
a) Comprehensive staff and equipment for rehabilitation must be secured.
b) The patient's motivation to fight against the disease must be improved.
c) Disorder of extremities in childhood should be treated as soon as possible.
II) Society must be orientated to accept patients so that their social recovery is possible.
a) Correct understanding of the disease.
b) Improvement of equipment for daily life.

抄録全体を表示

Since Batainllon et al, first recorded tuberculosis-like disease of a carp in 1897, isolating a strain of mycobacteria, M. piscium from the fish tissue, several works on the subject have been presented by Aronson (1926, see-water fish, M. marinum), Baker&Hagan (1942 Mexican platy fish, M. platypoecilus), Besse (1949, siamese fighting-fish, M. anabanti), and Ross (1959-salmon and trout-M. salmonifilum-4 strains). (These mycobacteria are designated as M. pis, M. mar, M. p1, M. ana, M. sal for short in the following description.)
The author has isolated 21 strains of mycobactria from 129 fish of 11 species of the tropical fish out of 260 fish of 23 species, (Tables 1-a and 1-b). Besides these he has obtained 3 more strains of mycobacteria culturally from a goldfish and two cruaians which were previously inoculated with leprosy bacilli (strains "Shio" and "C 106") One more strain, "Cc 116" was the one originated from a crucian inoculated with killed leprosy bacilli.
On the other hand, attempts to detect mycobacteria in the viscera of various fresh-, brackish- and see-water fishes, (53 goldfish, 24 crucian, 16 carp, 15 loach, 5 dace, 13 macropodus chinensis, 47 rainbow trout, 21 see-water fishes including a salmon and 4 see-pearch-totaling 170), tinctorially and culturally, ended almost entirely negative. Histological examinations performed in more than 50 fish gave no results. Although diseased fish sometimes were sluggish and dull in appearance, scarcely and ulceration or tumor was found in the skin. In autopsy, there were seen greyish white, pin-headed or rice grain sized, soft nodules in the viscera, in particular, liver, kidney and spleen in rapidly advanced cases. Abundant acid-fast rods were detected intra- and extra-cellularly of monocytes in the granuloma which resembled considerably to a rat leproma or avian tuberculous granuloma in histology. In slowly advanced cases, however, many miliar nodules resembling to a transverse section of a hyalinized vessel in their appearances, were found inthe viscera. (Fig. 2 and 3)
The author has studied on the mycobacteria of the fish origin bacteriologically and immunologically together with some other biological properties. In particular, pathogenicity to goldfish or other experimental animals has been studied comparing with lesions seen in spontaneously diseased tropical fish. The results were summarized as follows:
1) Bacteriology: The 24 strains can be classified into 4 groups according to their cultural pro- perties, in particular, to ability of pigment production conforming to Runyon's classification of atypical mycobacteria. Thus; i) Photochromogens (P-group for short); orange colored pigmentation develops in less than 24 hours after exposing the culture to electric light-60 candle power at distance of 30-40 cm for 20 minutes. 5 strains, "Lt, " "P1, " "Sf2, " "Sp, " "Sw". ii) Scotochromogens (S); bright orange color is formed even in the dark. 9 strains, Bm2, Gp, C106, Cc116, Pg3, Pg4, Pg6 Sf3, Tp2. iii) Nonphotochromogens (N); greyish white col nies. 7 strains, Bm1, Bg, Bt, Pg1, Pg5, Sf4, Shio. iv) Delayed photochromogens (provisional designation, P'-group). 3 strains, Pg2, Sf1, Tp1. Optimal temperature for growth are found ranging from 25°C to 30°C. All of the strains grow well on egg media and on heart infusion agar slant. Strongly acid-fast rod resembling tubercle bacillus. "Bt" is slender in size. "P1, " "Sf2" "Sp" "Sw" are generally dicker and longer in size than tubercle bacillus, especially in the fish tissue, whereas they are shorter on cultue media, showing somewhat pleomorphic tendency. Formation of pellicle in liqued media is mostly difficult to be seen in the strains of "S" and "N"-groups. No typical cord formation could be seen except for in Lt, Bm2, Bg, Bt. (Fig. 6) Viability of the bacilli stored in physiological saline at room temperature; majority of the strains retained their flourishing activity for more than 9 months in a saline.

抄録全体を表示