Account of a large Species ofAscaris. 63 



XIII. Some Account of a large Species of Ascaris, found 

 in the abdominal cavity of a Dog. In a Letter to 

 the KDiTov.,fom the late Samuel Cooper, M. Z)., 

 of Philadelphia. 



Sir, 



I TAKE the liberty of troubling you with some 

 account of the dog that contained the Worm, to which 

 you were so obliging as to pay some attention. 



While I was engaged in making some experiments 

 with stramonium on dogs, I happened to meet with one 

 diat appeared old; that had periodical twitchings or con- 

 vulsions over the whole body; a frame much emaciated, 

 and a very heavy appearance. These twitchings or con- 

 vulsions occurred every three or four minutes. To this 

 dog I gave a scruple of the extract of the leaves, which 

 I repeated several times. The effect of the medicine 

 was to produce frequent black stools, and a frequent flow 

 of darkish urine, without a loss of appetite, with increased 

 thirst, and with languor and emaciation of body. But, 

 during this time, his convulsions did not abate. 



I now remitted the medicine, without making any 

 change in the diet of the animal. He became fatter and 

 sprightlier ; more so, I think, than I had hitherto seen 

 him. But, upon repeating it in larger doses, the same 

 phenomena as before were renewed, with greater violence. 

 His breathing became laborious, and death, at length, 

 ensued. 



