16,1 Haughwout and Horrilleno: Intestinal Parasites 59 
infection with bilharzia was recorded in Egypt in 1905.°. This 
suggests an interesting line of inquiry in favorable localities 
such as Cagayan Valley, where the incidence of hookworm in- 
fection is high. 
Oxyuris vermicularis.—This parasite was encountered once 
only in our series, through the discovery of one of the ova in 
a centrifuged specimen of the stool. Garrison and Llamas 
report it in 1.33 per cent of the children they examined, and 
Garcia in 0.17 per cent of his series of Cebu children. Other 
investigators have reported its occurrence in small numbers 
from various parts of the Philippines. We are of the opinion 
that it is slightly more common among the American children in 
Manila and the vicinity. Our case came from Cavite Province. 
These figures apparently indicate that Oxywris occurs infre- 
quently in Filipino children. However, the methods of exam- 
ination used in this series do not favor the detection of Oxyuris 
infections, and other means must be employed if the incidence 
of this parasite is to be determined. Dr. Luis Guerrero, of 
Manila, who has had a wide experience in treating parasitism 
in children assures us that Oxyuris is very frequently encountered 
not only in Filipino children, but in adults as well. 
At the beginning of this study there were two points upon 
which we were especially anxious to secure information. They 
were included in the cases of dysentery and those suffering from 
disorders of the nervous system. At the conclusion of our work 
we find ourselves just as well informed as we were at the begin- 
ning and no better. 
There is little to be found on study of our cases of ileocolitis 
that is suggestive of any immediate influence exerted by animal 
parasites on the course of ileocolitis in children. The only crumb 
of comfort is afforded by the fact that but one of the six cases 
that was free from helminthal infection died of the disease. It 
is left to the surmise of the reader just what influence, as regards 
the lowering of the vitality of the child before the onset of the 
disease, was exerted by protozoal and helminthal infections. We 
prefer not to touch upon it at this time. 
The other point was suggested by the paper of Plantier(47) 
on spasmophilia and intoxication as factors in epilepsy. Plan- 
tier has stated that in eliminating the causes for spasmophilia 
in epilepsy it is wise not to be too hasty in ascribing it to heredity 
or diagnosing it as essential epilepsy. He states his belief that 
*Trop. Dis. Bull. 12 (1918) 184. 
