492 Worms in the Intestinal Tract. 



horses that are otherwise healthy, upon being killed in the 

 slaughtering house. 



Diagnosis. The presence of mature Sclerostoma in horses 

 may be recognized frequently on rectal examination when some 

 of the worms are brought out on the arm of the examiner. As 

 a rule, however, the diagnosis is made only upon finding ova by 

 microscopic examination of the feces. 



The methods of Adelmann and A. Albreeht permit the differentiation of the 

 larvae of the various species of Sclerostoma. A ball of feces is placed into a glass 

 vessel and this is wrapped in black paper so as to be protected against the light, 

 covered to prevent desiccation and left in the neighborhood of a stove or in another 

 warm place. After two days the feces then contain lively motile embryos (Adel- 

 mann). According to Albreeht 's method the ball of feces is preserved for 8 to 14 

 days or in summer for 5 to 8 days, and protected during this time from desiccation. 

 Clean water or physiologic salt solution is then poured over the ball, enough of the 

 former so that it is fully soaked and there is some excess on the bottom of the 

 vessel. After a few hours one may recognize, if the light is favorable, minute 

 worms or little conglomerated masses of them in the water at the bottom of 

 the vessel with the naked eye. Sometimes the worms can be recognized only after 

 the water has been carefully poured off or centrifuged. With the aid of the micro- 

 scope the larvffi of the various species can be differentiated ac^-ording to the char- 

 acteristics described by Albreeht. 



Since Sclerostoma may be present in the intestine of the 

 horse without giving rise to any disturbance in health, it is nec- 

 essary, in the presence of sjmiptoms of disease in which Scler- 

 ostoma are found, to make a careful examination of the animals 

 and to consider all conditions of environment before the morbid 

 condition can be ascribed to sclerostomiasis. Blood}^ diarrhea 

 in young horses in summer is always suspicious of scleros- 

 tomiasis. 



The differential diagnosis must consider the soealled 

 wasting of foals (Dieckerhoff) (see page 342), especially also 

 infectious anemia (see Vol. I) ; the latter is very similar in its 

 clinical and pathologic characteristics to sclerostomiasis as de- 

 scribed by Schlegel. 



Treatment. To combat intestinal sclerostoma one may 

 make use of the same means which are recommended for asca- 

 riasis (see page 479). Albreeht recommends particularly oil of 

 turpentine (80 gm. with 500 gni. of castor oil) ; Dorn praises in- 

 travenous injections of atoxyl (3 gm. in 100 cc. warmed to 37° 

 C.) Bochberg also recommends atoxyl (he gives it in doses of 

 equal amount, or gradually increasing from 0.2-0.5 or 1-1.5 gm. 

 in 1 per cent salt solution, administered subcutaneously or in- 

 travenously). Atoxyl or sodium arsenicosum (0.5-2.0 gm.) in 

 increasing doses internally might also be used against the larvae 

 of Sclerostoma. The animals should have the benefit of intense 

 feeding. 



Prophylaxis is the same as that recommended against 

 thrombosis of the mesenteric arteries (see page 410). 



Literature. Adelmann, Das Aneurysma verm, equi etc. Diss., Giessen, 1908 

 (Lit.).— Albreeht, Z. f. Vk., 1909, 161.— Bochberg, Z. f. Vk., 1909, 271.— Dorn, M. 



