Cause of Wonii-A^odules in Caitlc 25 



it was a matter of great regret that owing to absence of transport, it 

 was impossible to make such an examination as was intended. It is 

 hoped, however, that at an early date such an opportunity may present 

 itself to test the infection or otherwise of these Indian a,nd British 

 cattle. In view of the statement recently made to us by Dr. de lUieck, 

 Director of the Veterinary Laboratory and Veterinary School at Bui- 

 tenzorg (Java), that tumours similar to those of Onchocerca gihsoni are 

 cpiite common in Java cattle, it muy yet be found that our original 

 inference was correct, viz., that tlie Timor cattle, introduced some time 

 between \&2i and 1S4U into I'ort Essington, were the responsible 

 agents of introduction. 



The importation of Javan native cattle to Port Darwin in 1872 

 which, as is shown elsewhere, is considered to have been the source 

 of the introduction of the cattle tick {Boopliilus annul (it ua var. 

 micro])] u>i) and of tick fever, may also have introduced the " worm- 

 nodules," yet they could hardly have been the first source of intro- 

 duction, seeing we have circumstantial evidence of the appearance of 

 these nodules in (Queensland at least 40 years ago. It may l)e noted, 

 however, that the crossbred descendants of those Brahma cattle, when 

 examined, all show more or less Onchocerca infection. 



Genei^al Characteps of the Nodules. 



In some animals recently examined in>st mortem, the proportion of 



nodules situated in the deep pectoral muscles was nmch less than had 



previously been noted, while in the thigh they were very few in 



number, and then were situated close alongside the head of the femur. 



In each case they were more numerous on the right side than on the 



left. Two cases are here given of two cows from the same district in 



North Queensland, and kept here under exactly similar conditions {vide 



infra) for 6 and 8 months respectively, B having been killed two 



UKmths later than A. 



\ (5 .vpai- eld COW). B (3 year old cow). 



Total number of nodules - - 47 (lUL, 28R) 15 (6L, 9R) 



Number of nodules in thigh - - 3(1L, 2R) 



Number of nodules containing eggs 



and living larvae - - 22 4 



Number of nodules containing in- 



traparasitic parasites - - 10 4 



Number of nodules degenerate - 1") 11 



The proportion of nodules in B, containing degenerate parasites, 

 is more typical than in A, and undoubtedly a marked diminution in 

 size of the nodules took place during the months the cows wei-e 

 under constant observation, as determined byfrecpient manij)uiaLion. 



