HELMINTHIASIS 



157 



and others. Unfortunately but few detailed examinations of the 

 blood of clinical cases have been made; but from those made it 

 seems that an examination of the blood is of considerable diag- 

 nostic value. Of course a positive diagnosis of helminthiasis is 

 to be made by finding the specific worms, larvae or eggs in each 

 case. The value of the blood examination consists in giving a 

 clue as to the cause of trouble; it is a symptom that may be of 

 great value in doubtful cases. 



Sclerostomatosis.— Moore, Haring and Cady found that in 

 horses having extensive aneurisms in the mesenteric arteries, 

 caused by Sclerostoma bidentatum, there was a decided increase 

 in the eosinophiles. They state "our results suggest that the 

 examination of the blood of horses troubled by frequent attacks 

 of colic, of which the cause is obscure, would be of some diagnostic 

 value in determining whether or not the attacks were caused by 

 this parasite." This is a conservative statement as the other 

 troubles showing colic produce a quite different effect on the 

 blood. In acute indigestion there is no increase of eosinophiles 

 and in acute inflammation of the bowels there is a polynuclear 

 leucocytosis. Further- studies have strengthened the value of 

 these findings. In a more extended investigation, as yet unpub- 

 lished, Dr. V. A. Moore found that aneurisms might be present 

 in the arteries without an accompanying eosinophilia; but that 

 a marked eosinophilia was present in subjects having numerous 

 worms present. The eosinophilia indicates not the presence of 

 aneurisms but an active infestation with the parasites. The fol- 

 lowing cases were reported by Moore, Haring and Cady. The 

 animals were dissection subjects and had many aneurisms in the 

 mesenteric arteries, each containing many worms. 



Trichinosis. — In trichinosis in man there is a marked rela- 

 tive and absolute increase in the number of eosinophiles during 

 the acute stages of the disease; but in cases of long standing or 



