134 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF []\Iarch, 



lumen is occluded by the necrotic and mucoid debris. Microscopic- 

 ally the mucosa is in part or wholly necrotic and the parasite may 

 be found burrowing even close to the muscularis. The only reactive 

 inflammation seen is around the nerves, where a round-cell infil- 

 tration sometimes occurs. 



Necrogenesis. — From the clinical and postmortem findings it would 

 seem that a variety of agencies are operative in causing death. Where 

 the parasites are in small numbers in a large bird they are probably 

 not the cause of death. Occlusion of the proventricular lumen 

 probably plays a minor part by retarding food ingestion. Much 

 more important is the destruction of the mucosa of this (for birds) 

 important digestive organ. In fact, it has been called the glandular 

 stomach in contradistinction to the muscular stomach or gizzard. 



This probably accounts for the emaciation seen clinically. Theo- 

 retically, this worm might elaborate a toxic material, as does the 

 fish tapeworm of man, which may act as an irritant on im- 

 portant vital organs. Such irritation was seen in a chronic 

 form around nerves in one of our microscopic sections. Dis- 

 placements of organs noted above (heart by pressure, gizzard 

 by weight of superjacent pro ventricle) could easily contribute to 

 the end. It is our belief at present that only a part of the cases 

 listed as verminous died as a result of spiropteriasis : that the cases 

 showing a few worms and not much tissue destruction died from inter- 

 current diseases, but that others, those so greatly emaciated, with 

 occluded lumina, pressure upon the heart and destruction of mucosa, 

 undoubtedly diqd as a result of the presence of these worms. 



Our autopsy shows alterations of important structures, extensive 

 enough and serious enough to incriminate the parasites in spite of 

 the evidence of our tables and charts. This fact, considered with 

 Spiroptera Table XI, shows the worm to be of economic importance. 



In studying this endemic we have worked along three lines: 



I. To devise a practical method whereby infested birds might be 

 discovered and isolated. 



II. To determine the life history of the worm. This is most 

 important from a hygienic and prophylactic standpoint. 



III. To discover a therapeutic agent. 



Diagnosis. 

 We feel that we have been successful in our first task. 

 The external appearances were never sufficiently characteristic 

 to lead to exact diagnosis. Some birds, even though passing enormous 



