266 PARASITES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



that any heavy mortahty occurred in the ahsence of parasitic infestation, 

 to assume considerable importance. Moussu regards these two facts as 

 the greatest obstacles to Lignieres' theory. He states that in his view 

 the verminous affection is the essential, primordial and primitive 

 affection, and that microbic infection is only secondary, and an almost 

 inevitable result of grave verminous infestation. 



It is quite certainly wrong to think that verminous affections may 

 continue with scarcely any injury to the animal, especially when such a 

 belief is based on observation of a few parasites which are not of a pre- 

 datory character. In most cases of the kind now under consideration, 

 the various parasites found {Strongijlus ciranncinctus and filkoUs, AncJiy- 

 lostomes, etc.) cause more or less grave lesions. 



These intestinal wounds facilitate the infection to which the fatal 

 course of the disease is due. The disease, then, is not a special unvarying 

 infection, but consists of multiple superposed infections. 



It is wrong to believe and to teach that the parasitic disease is of 

 no importance, and Moussu declares his belief that the proposed vacci- 

 nations will prove unavailing. He is of opinion, on the other hand, 

 that when the parasitic invasion can be overcome the mortality will 

 be checked, and only those animals which are already suffering from 

 severe infections will succumb. Is not this precisely what has been 

 observed in human pathology regarding miners' anaemia or miners' 

 w^orm disease (anchylostomiasis) ? 



The diagnosis presents no difficulty for those who have had a little 

 practice with the microscope, since the presence of eggs of the parasite 

 can always be detected in the faeces in cases where external signs have 

 given rise to suspicion of gastro-entestinal strongylosis. 



The macroscopic diagnosis on post-mortem examination is not so easy 

 as might be supposed, and when very small varieties are in question it is 

 sometimes necessary to examine the mucous membrane of the abomasum 

 or intestine very carefully in order to discover the parasite. 



The prognosis is grave, because before attention has been drawn to 

 many patients, the entire herd may be more or less infested. It is also 

 grave because the pastures are infested with eggs or embryos, and the 

 power of increase of these parasites is enormous. 



Treatment. The earliest and most energetic means should be 

 adopted in all cases. Treatment comprises : — 



Drainage of swampy pastures. ^ 



Dressing of the pastures with chemical manures, preferably with 

 iron sulphate, at the rate of 40 to 80 lbs. per acre. 



Disinfection of manure to destroy the contained eggs or embryos. 



The use of chalk, iron sulphate, various acids, etc. 



As regards curative treatment^ the diseased animals should be grouped 



