. Animal parasites and human disease. Parasites; Medical parasitology; Insects as carriers of disease. 144 Endamceba gingivalis and Disease. — As intimated above, although the presence of amebse in the mouth has been known for many years, these parasites attracted little interest until 1914 when several investigators called attention to an apparent relationship between the amebse and the presence of pus pockets between the teeth and gums, a disease known to dentists and physicians as " pyorrhea ; The amebse do not thrive on exposed surfaces in the mouth, but find a
. Animal parasites and human disease. Parasites; Medical parasitology; Insects as carriers of disease. 144 Endamceba gingivalis and Disease. — As intimated above, although the presence of amebse in the mouth has been known for many years, these parasites attracted little interest until 1914 when several investigators called attention to an apparent relationship between the amebse and the presence of pus pockets between the teeth and gums, a disease known to dentists and physicians as " pyorrhea ; The amebse do not thrive on exposed surfaces in the mouth, but find a congenial environ- ment in any little secluded pockets between the teeth and gums, in crevices between close-fitting teeth, or where a bit of food forms a protected spot for them. Stowed away in such places, and invariably accompanied by bacteria and often spirochetes, they multiply rapidly. That the}' feed largely on other organisms cannot be doubted, but that they prey also on the living tissue cells is very probable. Eventually the delicate peridental membrane surrounding the roots of the teeth (Fig. 42), correspond- ing in a general way to the periosteum of bones, is eaten away and becomes ulcerated. tooth showing peridental The eating away of the living membranes membrane, which is the of the teeth amj ums jg acc0mpanied by tissue attacked by Enda- * ~ moeba gingivalis and the a constant formation of pus, and a marked seat of pyorrhea, peri- proneness for the gums to bleed, often with- dent., peridental mem- ^ . brane; periost., perios- out provocation. The swallowing and ab- sorption of the pus and of the poisonous waste products generated by the parasitic organisms are probably the cause of the more or less noticeable constitutional symptoms which accom- pany the disease. These may consist of feverishness, dis- ordered digestion, nervous troubles, rheumatic pains in the joints, anemia, or various combinations of these ailments. We have long known that unhealthy mouths
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