The Curability of Syphilis

Single Cell Inoculations With Treponema Pallidum

“…The assumption by workers in experimental syphilis that a negative tissue transfer experiment indicates the absence of Treponema pallidum in the inoculum and the absence of syphilitic infection in the source animal is not warranted. This is indicated by the experiments reported herein as well as by a previously reported study of the tissue transfer method in human syphilis (6).…”

“…Conclusions based upon this assumption are abundant in the literature. It has even been suggested that the method might be useful in determining either persistence of infection, or cure, in individuals who have undergone antisyphilitic treatment (6). Although in human syphilis the procedure, as a test for either the presence or absence of infection, has been shown to be unreliable (7), it is still widely used in the experimental disease.…”