2/2 DISEASES DUE TO HELMINTHS 



Chapoton in 1812 described Hjematochyluria in Mauritius. 



Demarquay in 1863 found a Microfilaria in a hydrocele at Paris. 



\\'ucherer in 1866 found a Microfilaria in urine, in Egypt, but 

 neither at the time recognized its importance. 



Lewis in 1868 found the Microfilaria in the blood and lymph of 

 persons with elephantiasis of the leg and assumed it to be the cause. 



Bancroft in 1876 found adult females in a lymphatic abscess of 

 the arm, and in a hydrocele of the cord. He afterwards called it 

 F. bancrofti. 



Manson in 1878 found the disseminating mosquito of the 

 F. bancrofti as well as the periodicity of the Microfilaria, and he also 

 showed that the worms retired to the large vessels of the lungs during 

 the day. 



Only about ten adult filaria have been collected. 



These parasites are non-bursate nematodes with a simple mouth 

 and a limited number of genital papillae. The spicules are dissimilar 

 in shape and size. 



These nematodes always live in the connective tissue, lymphatic 

 vessels and in the blood-stream, but never in the intestine. 



When they leave the human body they pass at once into some inter- 

 mediate host. They do not pass into water or any other media. The 

 exception to this is the F. dracunculosis. 



Tlie skin of these nematodes mav be : — 



(i) Smooth, as in F. bancrofti, perstans and demarquavi. 



(2) Striated, as in Dirofilaria mag. 



(3) Bossed as in Loa loa. 



(4) Corrugated transversely as in F. volvulus. 



FILARIA BANCROFTI. 

 MORPHOLOGY. 



It is a long, whitish, filiform worm, with a smooth cuticle and a 

 globular head, with an unarmed lipless mouth. Only one complete 

 specimen has ever been found of the adult. 



The tail of this worm incurves when dead. The male measures 

 36"6 mm. long by o"i2 mm. thick. The anus, close to the posterior 

 end, is guarded by two projecting lips. 



There are six pairs of papillae, three pre-anal, and three post-anal. 

 There are two curved retractile spicules, o"6 mm. and 0*2 mm. long. 



The female measures 76 mm. to 100 mm. long by otS thick. 



The vulva is close to the anterior end and opens into a single 

 vagina, from which two uterine tubules run almost the whole length 

 of the body. These contain eggs and embryos. 



