Ten patients with macular amyloidosis were studied with particular reference to the role of friction. All 10 patients had a history of prolonged rubbing over a period of 2-5 years with various objects, such as bath sponges, brushes, towels, plant sticks and leaves. The presence of amyloid was confirmed by histochemical stains in six cases and by electron microscopy in four cases. The study confirms the role of friction in the causation of macular amyloidosis and hence, the term 'frictional amyloidosis' aptly describes the condition. The study also emphasizes the need for electron microscopy in the diagnosis of frictional amyloidosis.

Although DIF is an extremely useful diagnostic tool, it should always be used in conjunction with histopathology and the combination of the two methods yields the best results.

Histopathological studies in guinea-pigs infected intracaecally with Entamoeba histolytica were carried out longitudinally on days 3, 7, 11, 15, 20 and 35 after infection. Three characteristic modes of development of caecal lesions were observed. These in order of their prevalence were the classical inflammatory cellular infiltration, lymphoid hypertrophy and necrotizing colitis. Occasional amoeboma formation was observed in progesterone-treated animals. This is the first time that histological lesions which mimic the human intestinal amoebiasis have been described in the experimental animal.