212 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF " WORM-NODULES " IN CATTLE 



" the portions of meat containing the parasite are obviously 

 unfit for food and should be destroyed." We do not agree 

 with this remark. The meat in unaffected, though the 

 connective tissue immediately surrounding the worm is 

 affected, since the formation of a dense hbrous capsule 

 or " worm nodule " is the result, but the effect does not 

 extend beyond this. The Editor of the British Medical 

 Journal (3rd Dec, 1910, p. 1797) mentioned " that the meat 

 in question is little, if at all, deteriorated in quality, that 

 it is perfectly safe for human consumption, and that its 

 unsightly condition may be remedied by the removal of the 

 nodules." NicoU (1911, p. 73) says, that " there is no evi- 

 dence to show that the meat suffers, or that it is dangerous 

 for human consumption, and the fact that is has been eaten 

 for some time, both in this country and in Australia, without 

 ill consequences being remarked, may be taken to support 

 the Australian view." 



Distribution in Australia : — The greatest percentage 

 of infection appears to occur in Queensland, especially 

 in the more northerly and westerly regions, and as one 

 passes southwards, the condition becomes less common. 

 Though occurring in New South Wales, its presence is 

 more or less restricted to the Northern Rivers and the 

 Hunter districts, though it may be found occasionally 

 in cattle elsewhere. It is difficult, however, to trace the 

 origin of cattle brought in for slaughter, but a large per- 

 centage come " overland " from Queensland to Sydney,. 

 Melbourne and elsewhere. Hence at the abattoirs in these 

 cities and in Hobart, nodules are met with. The occurrence 

 of the condition in Victorian-bred cattle is doubtful, while 

 Tasmania appears to be free from it. It is well-known in. 

 Western Australia and in the Northern Territory. The 

 distribution outside of Australia will be referred to in another 

 place. 



The parasite : — The main papers dealing with the 

 parasite {Onchocerca gihsoni) infesting Australian cattle 

 are those of Cleland and Johnston (1910, 1911), Leiper 

 (1911), and Gilruth and Sweet (1911). The worm had 

 usually been referred to as Spiroptera reticulata, which is 

 a parasite infesting horses in Southern Europe. Barnard 

 and Park (1894, p. 644), Park (1893, also in Tryon, 1910)^ 



