34 6 



THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



man. As echinococcus disease in man is always very dangerous, it 

 would be a matter of general interest to prevent dogs being infected 

 by destroying the echinococci, 1 and all measures would be justifiable 

 which would diminish the superfluous number of house-dogs (for 

 instance, high taxes) ; measures should also be adopted to limit the 

 association of men with dogs, particularly in such frequented places 

 as restaurants, railway carriages and tram-cars. 



Echinococcus is very common in slaughtered animals ; in Germany, however, 

 the figures in the reports of the abattoirs present an erroneous view in so far as, 

 besides the total number of animals slaughtered, only the numbers of those organs 

 (liver and lungs) are published that were so severely infected with echinococci that, 

 even when the parasites were " shelled " out, the flesh could not be placed upon the 

 market and was therefore "condemned." 



In Berlin the following animals were slaughtered : 



During the same years the following were condemned in consequence of being 

 infected with echinococci : 



Nevertheless there are statistics that give the total number of animals infected 

 with echinococcus : 



In Giistrow, in Mecklenburg, half of the animals slaughtered are said to be 

 infected with echinococcus; in Wismar 25 per cent, of the oxen, 15 per cent, of the 

 sheep and 5 per cent, of the pigs are infected ; according to Mayer, in Leipzig, 

 379 per cent, native pigs, 24*47 per cent. Hungarian pigs, and 13*09 per cent, of sheep 

 were infected with echinococcus ; at the same time it was stated that in regard to 

 the native pigs the liver was more frequently affected than the lungs (3*81 per cent, 

 as compared with o'26 per cent.) ; in sheep the lungs were more frequently infected 



1 Hosier, F., " Ueb. Mittel z. Bekampfg. endem. vork. Echinococcuskrank.," Deutseh. 

 med. ZeiL> 1889, No. 72. 



