Observations on the Trichomonad Flagellate of the Reproductive Organs of Cattle

In 1945 I obtained bacteria-free cultures of the trichomonad in the reproductive organs of cattle from Dr. B. B. Morgan. They were maintained for several months, studies were made of living flagellates, and slides were prepared. Some slides were stained by the Heidenhain technique and others impregnated by the Bodian protargol procedure. Some observations on abnormal displacement of flagella and the undulating membrane have been reported (Kirby, 1947). Studies on the structure of the flagellate and the division process are dealt with in this paper. It is not intended that this should be a complete account, because an accurate and extensive description of the features revealed by the usual techniques has already been given by Wenrich and Emmerson (1933). I am able to supplement their account in some respects as a result of dark-field observations and studies of flagellates impregnated by the protein silver technique. Acknowledgments are made to Dr. Morgan, who supplied the strain used for these studies; to Dr. Bronislaw Honigberg, who aided in maintaining the cultures and preparing material; to Dr. E. N. Kozloff, who prepared some slides used in the study; and to Mrs. Lois C. Taylor, who made the line drawings and aided in the observational work. The dark-field drawing and the photographs were made by the author.