268 =" Cenurus of the Hare. 
The eggs are so small as to be quite invisible to the unaided eye, 
and being furnished with a very thick envelope, have considerable 
tenacity of life. The hare swallows these eggs, either by feeding 
upon the grass and weeds, or by drinking from pools of water into 
_ which they have been washed. In the stomach the thick envelope 
is digested, the contained embryo is set free and immediately starts 
for its predestined resting place. This microscopic embryo is fur- 
nished with six hooklets, by means of which it penetrates the walls 
_ of the intestine and imbeds itself in the muscular tissue. Here it 
ceases to move, its hooklets fall, and it slowly develops into the 
polycephalous vesicle first described. 
This paper has not been written to discourage the use of the hare 
as an article of food; on the contrary, the aim has been to point out 
the remedy for an evil, which is undoubtedly increasing. So far as 
is known this tenia does not develop in man, and if it were capable 
of doing so, the thorough cooking to which it is subjected would 
be a strong safeguard, underdone hare not being so popular a dish 
as roast beef rare, or ham warmed through. 
From what has been said of the life history of the czenurus, it is 
evident that if every affected hare were well boiled, or burned, the 
disease would become much less frequent. At present it is dissemi- 
nated in such a manner as would almost lead one to suppose that 
the breeding of this parasite is an object greatly to be desired. 
These affected hares are sold every day in the market, and in face 
of the general ignorance of the nature of the tumors, no blame can 
be attached to the vendors. The health of the animal seems un- 
affected by the parasite he harbors, and in many cases they are so 
deeply buried as only to be discovered by incision. 
These hares are either thrown away by the purchaser or are used 
for food after the tumors have been removed. In either case, they 
are eaten by dogs, which become infested in the same manner as the 
coyote, and like him convey infection to the hare again. 
Inthe country this method of disposing of their bodies is still 
more objectionable, for they are found and eaten by various wild 
_ animals, and although the dog and wolf are the probable hosts of 
_ this cenurus, it may have others, possibly the lynx and the fox. — 
‘ ; 
