NOTE ON FREQUENCY OE PABASITES IX INDIAN ARMY HORSES. HI 



colon and not in the caecum. In ail eases the parasite was in the 

 mature form, and in no case was the larval armed-strongyle found in 

 the anterior mesenteric artery causing "worm aneurism." It is evident 

 that in August in Bangalore the strongyle is in the adult dung-eating 

 stage and found in the large intestine — whether this is the case in 

 the rest of India remains to be proved. These are the worms con- 

 sidered by Bollinger as a frequent cause of colic. 



7. The evidence about Strongylus tetracanthus, though conclusive 

 as to presence in so?ne cases, is not invariably satisfactory. The 

 parasites seen were small thread-worms of a white color (entered as 

 " immature str. tetr acanthus " in my rough records as prepared at 

 the time). They seldom (i.e., in only one case infesting the caecum 

 and in one infesting the colon ) had the distinctive red colour of 

 str. tetracanthus. They more resembled spiroptera in four cases of 

 the caecum and three of the colon. Not in a single case did I find the 

 form which has been called trichonema arcuata, i.e., the young 

 str. tetracanthus forming small rings in the substance of the 

 mucous membrane of the caecum and commencing portion of the colon. 

 But in one case was a cyst of the caecal mucous membrane, and in 

 two other instances where the small white worms were not found were 

 cysts, one burst, the other unopened. No microscopical diagnosis, unfor- 

 tunately, was made of the "small white worms," so ice must leave it 

 an open question ivhether a form of spiroptera is found in the ccecwn of 

 the horse. The cysts may possibly have resulted from migrating 

 str. armati. 



8. Amphistoma collinsii, a form of trematode, was found in 

 the caecum in three cases, but in the coloa in no less than nine. 

 From this we might infer that the latter is specially its habitat. The 

 commencement portion of the colon is most frequently invaded. I 

 would in this connection suggest the view i\v&l frequency of parasites 

 such as are introduced with the food or water is found in the former case 

 in the stomachy in the latter in the cceciim or commencement of the 

 duodenum. This is a generalization of considerable importance and 

 worthy of discussion ; if it be accepted, we may infer that the amphi- 

 stomes in their larval form are ingested from the muddy water of 

 tanks either free or in the textures of minute larvae. These amphi- 

 stomes are very common in horses throughout ]ndia. 



It is remarkable how much freer from parasites some horses 

 are than otheis. No. 10's intestines and stomach constituted quite 

 a zoological garden for the helminths. It is remarkable that, even 



