684 THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



of infection, that one must accept this source of infection now, even 

 though it is undecided which mode of infection is the more prevalent, 

 by the mouth or through the skin. Some authors have described 

 the changes induced in the skin by the penetration of the larvae ; for 

 instance, Looss and Schaudinn, 1 itching papules in their own skin, 

 and Dieminger' 2 a skin affection in the Graf Schwerin mine which 

 was called the " Schweriner itch," and a skin affection not unlike 

 scabies in the tea plantations of Assam and South America ; pani- 

 ghao (water itch) (Dubreuilh 3 ) ; the penetration of the larvae through 

 the skin also explains the frequent appearance of boils and itching 

 purulent eczema in miners in infected pits (Goldmann 4 ). 



The absolute diagnosis of ancylostoiniasis depends on the detection 

 of the ancylostome eggs in the faeces, and presents no difficulties. 



Prophylaxis is of the greatest importance, especially to miners. 

 The spread of ancylostomiasis seems to depend only on freces 

 deposited in damp places, so that on the one hand the deposition 

 of faeces must be prevented, and on the other the faeces must be 

 rendered as far as possible harmless ; in addition, there is the 

 individual prophylaxis. 



General prophylaxis requires : 



(1) Examination immediately for ancylostomes of miners seeking 

 work and of those newly taken on five to six weeks after. 



(2) Indentured workers who are infected with worms are not 

 allowed to work underground until a medical certificate in writing 

 is brought to the effect that they are no more infected with eggs (the 

 same procedure applies to workmen in brick kilns) (Goldmann 5 ). 



(3) Indentured workers infected with worms must submit them- 

 selves to the prescribed treatment, and after its completion further 

 submit their stools to three examinations at intervals of about four 

 weeks. 



(4) Special supervision of miners and brick- makers coming from 

 the Italian frontier. 



(5) Workmen must be given instructions, both by word of mouth 

 and in writing in their mother tongue, as to the infectivity and danger 

 of ancylostomiasis both to themselves and others. 



(6) Orders are to be given as to washing, baths, and changing 

 of clothes at the end of the work. 



(7) During the hours of working in the pits, taking of food is 

 strictly forbidden without thorough and entire washing. 



1 Schaudinn, Detitsch. med. Wochenschr,, 1904. 



2 Dieminger, Klin, Jahrb., 1905, xiv. 8 Dubreuilh, La Presse ined., 1905, xxx. 

 4 Goldmann, Wien. med. Presse, 1905, ii. 



1 Ibid., " Die Hygiene des Bergmannts." Halle : W. Knapp, 1903. 



