496 "Worms in the Intestinal Tract. 



as if this periodic frequency stands in relation to the three to 

 four years period of development of May-bugs. 



Anatomical Chang-es. Grayish nodules or yellowish puru- 

 lent points surrounded by a red halo are seen shining through 

 the serosa of the intestines (Kocourek). The worms bore into 

 the mucosa with their anterior ends; the neighborhood of the 

 mucosa where the parasites are located is intensely reddened 

 and also shows catarrhal swelling. Sometimes the parasites 

 have perforated the intestinal wall and have produced a puru- 

 lent peritonitis. Sometimes the mucosa shows cicatricial for- 

 mations. 



Symptoms. Digestive disturbances occur proportionately 

 to the number and to the stage of development of the worms; 

 the animals become emaciated and enfeebled. Since the para- 

 sites cause pain, the animals grunt continually; they are rest- 

 less, bury into the ground or straw, snap towards the abdomen 

 or towards other animals. Occasionally, particularly in young 

 pigs, one sees more or less intense twitching of the muscles or 

 epileptiform convulsions, generally followed by a fatal termi- 

 nation. 



The cause of these symptoms is revealed, by a microscopic 

 examination of the feces, by the discovery of the characteristic 

 ova ; frequently, however, such an examination is neglected and 

 the true cause of the disease is only found on postmortem 

 examination. 



Treatment and Prophylaxis. These worms can be expelled 

 only with difficulty. One may try drugs that are effective 

 against ascaris, especially santonin (2-5 gm.), rhizoma filicis 

 maris (20-50.0 gm., or of the extract 2-5.0 gin.), kamala (2-4.0 

 gm.) ; also, according to the recommendation of Kocourek, oil of 

 turpentine (in tablespoonful doses, followed by laxatives, see 

 page 480). 



The destruction of insects and other animals, which may 

 contain the larval stage of the worm, is indicated as a prophy- 

 lactic measure, also the avoidance of probably infected parts of 

 land. 



Literature. Kocourek, Trzt., 1887, 256.— Stiles, J. of eomp. Path., 1891, 657. 

 —Weinberg & Komanovitsch, A. P., 1907, 960. 



Echinorrhynchus in Fowl. E. polymorphus is found in the intes- 

 tines of ducks, more rarely in the intestines of geese and swans ; in ducks 

 also E. filicolis and E. sphaerocephalus. The first sometimes causes epi- 

 zootics (Klee, Vet. Jhb. 1906, 352). 



