NEMATODES 143 



of tliis loss of blood is explained by L. Loeb ''''' as due to the presence, 

 in the anterior portion of the parasite (they studied Ankylostonia 

 caniniim), of a substance that inhibits the coa^lation of the blood. 



However, Preti "^ would ascribe importance to a lipoidal or lipoid- 

 like hemolytic constituent of the parasitic tissues of the European 

 ankylostoma, but Whipijle,*"'^ who lias observed a weak hemolysin in 

 the American hook worm, considers it too ineffective to be of practical 

 importance. In Sclerostoma equinmn, however, Bondonoy "- found 

 active hemolytic agents, ascribed by him to lipase ; also a ptomain, an 

 alkaloid and other substances. Correspondinfj to Flury's analyses 

 of ascaris, he found that the cuticle is albuminoid and not chitinous, 

 and that the parasite produces much volatile fatty acids, especially 

 butyric; both lecithin and cholesterol were absent. The dermatitis 

 produced by uncinaria larva? is ascribed by C. A. Smith ^^ to an alco- 

 hol-soluble substance. Wateiy extracts of Sclerostoma were found by 

 Grosso "* to cause but slight chemotaxis without eosinophilia. 



Filaria seem not to produce any appreciable amount of toxic ma- 

 terial, if we may judge by the slight evidence of intoxication shown 

 by infected individuals. An exception may be made in the case of 

 the guinea-worm {Dracunculus or F. medinensis) . This parasite 

 causes chiefly mechanical injury unless its body is ruptured, which 

 may happen in attempting to remove it forcibly; this accident is fol- 

 lowed by violent local inflammation or gangrene, which indicates 

 that some powerfully irritant substance is liberated from the torn 

 body of the worm.^^ 



59 Cent. f. Bakt., 1004 (37), 93; 1906 (40), 740; Loeb and Fleischer, Jour. 

 Infec. Dis., 1910 (7), 625. 



eoMiinch. med. Woch., 1908 (5.5). 436. 



61 Jour. Exp. Med., 1909 (11), 331. 



62 Arch. Parasitol., 1910 (14), 5: see also Ashcroft, Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 

 1914 (77), 442. 



63 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 1906 (47), 1693. 



64 Folia Hematol., 1912 (14), 18. 



65 Earthworms are said by Yagi (Arch, internat. phaimacodyn.. 1911 (21), 

 105) to contain a hemolytic substance, "lumbricin," the properties of -which he 

 describes. Nukada and Tenaka (Mitt. med. Fakult., Tokio. 1915 (14), 1), found 

 an antipyretic agent which seems to be derived from tyrosine. 



