810 PARASITIC DISEASES. 



could develop from the eggs of the Strongylus filaria, but 

 opinions differ upon this point. 



The name Strongylus contortus occurs first in the writings of 

 Eudolphi, and the species was described from specimens found 

 in the month of November in the fourth stomach of a lamb. 

 Eabricius also found them in the intestine. 



Description. — The body is cylindrical, red or white, and tapers 

 very gradually towards the anterior extremity, where is the mouth 

 (fig. 45), which is unprovided with papillae or other appendages, 

 and leads into the muscular pharynx, rather more than 1 mm. 

 in length, in a worm 25 mm. long. 



The male is smaller than the female, and is from 10 to 16 mm. 

 in length, and 0'2 mm. in diameter. 



The terminal bursa consists of two elongated ovoid lobes, each 

 of which is supported by five ribs, and attached to the left lobe 

 is a smaller one, supported by two ribs. There are two spicules 

 about 0*5 mm. in length, each one tapering to a fine point, which 

 is slightly curved outwards. Under a higli power each point is 

 seen to be tipped by a small knob (fig. 38). 



The female is from 1830 mm. in lenofth, and 0'3 mm. in dia- 

 meter. The body tapers very suddenly to an extremely fine point, 

 and about 3 mm. in front of this is the genital opening, furnished 

 with two papillae, of which the left is much larger than the right 

 (fig. 47). The uterus is convoluted, hence the name Contortus. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of the stomach disease caused by 

 the Strongylus contortus are, according to Gerlach, not sufficiently 

 marked to allow of a certain diagnosis. The animals are languid 

 and dejected, and tend to become lean and anaemic ; the excre- 

 ment is thin and brown, mixed with slime, or at times with 

 blood. At last cachexia occurs, and death ensues from starva- 

 tion {Erschopfung). On post mortem examination the fourth 

 stomach is found with hundreds of the Strongylus contortus 

 covering its surface. 



Treatment. — Good food is recommended, e.g., roasted malt, 

 seeds, lupine hay or lupine seeds, and the following medicines : — 

 Chabert's oil, ... 1 part. 

 Oil of turpentine, . . 3 parts. 



The dose being one tea-spoonful per day. 



Kamala has been recommended, and the picrate of potash is 

 highly spoken of by Zurn. 



