INTESTINAL WORMS. 357 



au exceedingly lively and agile little creature — in liquid of 

 any kind coiling and frisking about after the manner of an 

 eel. On occasions it is detected making its escape from the 

 anus. It appears to be the most destructive species of worm 

 the horse harbours. I have heard and read of several 

 instances of its pernicious operations : two or three I have 

 myself witnessed. One I will relate here : 



My father possessed a horse between four and five years 

 old, that never looked well, and yet he did his work, and was 

 a voracious feeder. In October 1829, being at the time con- 

 ditioning for hunting, instead of gaining he gradually lost 

 flesh, although in other respects he seemed healthy, and w^as 

 sleek in his coat, and undepressed in spirits, while his pulse 

 and breathing were normal, and he fed well. One thing 

 appeared remarkable — that ever since he had taken to lose 

 flesh he had not lain down. Added to which, latterly, his 

 appetite failed; and he was observed to be continually licking 

 and nibbling the rack and manger, as well as his legs, shoul- 

 ders, and body : a propensity which had become so strong 

 that nothing we could do would conquer it. Being 

 now reduced to the lowest ebb of emaciation, he was de- 

 stroyed. The villous lining of the colon, and caecum and 

 its appendix, exhibited a dark-red colour, indicative of ap- 

 proaching mortification. Its surface was covered pretty 

 uniformly with clusters of ascarides. There was no ulcera- 

 tion or abrasion. The inflammation seemed to be the result 

 of the constant irritation of the worms. I had a case, some 

 short time ago, of the kind, in which the intestines were 

 similarly aff'ected. In both instances I regarded intestinal 

 disease to be the cause of death. 



The Strongylus is very apt to be mistaken for, or con- 

 founded with the ascaris : I begin to think I must have 

 committed this mistake myself, or probably should have 

 noticed it earlier than I did. It is a slender worm, from 

 two to four inches in length, in size similar to the red or 

 blood worm used by anglers, and consists of two distinct por- 

 tions : — a body, constituting not quite one-half of its entire 

 length, rather smaller than a crow-quill ; to which is ap- 



