NEMATODES 135 



and lieniolytic unsaturated fatty acids were also found, among other 

 less toxic substances produced by ascaris, and tin; sum of their action 

 is certainly adequate to account for anything ascribed to these para- 

 sites. Paulian," however, would attribute the chief effect to ana- 

 phylaxis from absorbed proteins, while Brinda^® believes that ascaris 

 produces an active toxalbumin. This, he found, causes a tetany- 

 hkc tj'^pe of respiration, and a similar symptom is often noticed in 

 chiklren with ascarides. An actively toxic mixture of proteoses and 

 peptones has been obtained from several species of ascaris, and desig- 

 nated as "askaron," by Shimamura and Fujii.^^ Horses can be 

 immunized to withstand 400 lethal doses. Ether and alcohol ex- 

 tracts of ascaris are not poisonous in large doses, although they are 

 hemolj''tic. 



Analysis of a great quantity of ascaris from horse and hog gave as the chief 

 "•esiilts, the following :'^^ They differ much in composition from the higher ani- 

 mals. About half the ash is water soluble; and of the dry substance about half 

 is protein or related substances, from which the usual amino-acids and purines 

 can be isolated. Uric acid and creatinin were lacking. The superficial layer does 

 not consist of chitin, but of an albuminoid rich in sulphur and free from carbohy- 

 drates, resembling keratin. They have abundant and active enzymes of many 

 kinds. Glycogen is the chief carbohydrate, but there are also glucoproteins and 

 glucose. The ascaris differs from higher animals especially in the ether-soluble 

 substances, which consist chiefly of free fatty acids, many of which are volatile. 

 Also found were lecithin, aldehydes and neutral fats, but little glycerol, no chol- 

 esterol, and an "ascaryl alcohol" (C32H64O2) which probably substitutes for both 

 glycerol and cholesterol. 



Trichinella Spiralis has been investigated from the chemical stand- 

 point by Flury,^^ who found that the infected muscles of experimental 

 animals differed from normal muscles in having more water because of 

 edema, an increase in extractives, ammonia compounds, lactic acid and 

 volatile acids, with fluctuating values in both creatine and purines. 

 Glycogen is decreased not only in the infected muscle but also in the 

 liver and kidneys. The parasites themselves are remarkably resist- 

 ant to strong acids, perhaps because of the lipoid content of their 

 surface covering, in which keratin could not be positively identified; 

 cholesterol and glycogen were present. The blood of infected ani- 

 mals shows an excess of nuclein material, and may give albumose and 

 diazo reactions; the red corpuscles have a lowered resistance to hemo- 

 lysis by hypotonic solutions. Trichinous muscle contains substances 

 that produce marked local tissue irritation, which may be purines; a 

 curare-like poison was also found, which was believed to be a guanidine 

 derivative, as well as a "fatigue poison" which probably consists of the 

 lactic acid and other muscle extractives. The location of trichinella 

 in muscle may be ascribable to their need for glycogen for nourish- 

 es Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1915 (78), 73. 

 «« Arch, de Med., 1915 (17), SOI. 



" Japanese Jour. Bact. (Saikingaku Zassi), June 10, 1916. 

 " Arch. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 1913 (73), 164 and 214. 



