114 PRACTICAL PARASITOLOGY 



liquefied glycerine gelatine. When cold, the edges of the cover-glass 

 are painted with varnish. The entire process may be carried out in a 

 watch-glass, if preferred. 



The method of examining the excreta of persons suspected of har- 

 bouring Helminthes, varies with the consistency of the secretion. 

 Where the faeces are watery, the liquid should be allowed to stand for 

 a short time in glass bowls or tubes, and portions of 

 the sediment should be taken out with a pipette and ex- 

 amined. It is sometimes necessary to pour off the liquid 

 and centrifugalize the sediment. Solid faecal matter 

 should be reduced to a suitable fluidity by the addition 

 of some indifferent liquid (such as normal saline) allowed 

 to stand for a time, and then treated in the manner just 

 described. Or small portions of solid matter may be lique- 

 EGG fi ec ^ * n watch-glasses with normal saline, rubbed down, 

 of Echinorhyn allowed to stand, and the sediment then examined. It is 

 300 S -^ aS '( After hardly necessary to say that a single test is insufficient 

 Leuckart.) to establish a diagnosis. A very large number of tests 



must be made before it is possible to declare definitely that Helminthes 

 are not present. 



Looss 1 recommends the following method of preparation : If the 

 faecal matter is too thick it should be rubbed down in watch-glasses to 

 the consistency of thin paste, and any coarse particles should be 

 removed. A mixture consisting of 100 parts 70 per cent, alcohol, with 

 5 parts glycerine, is heated in a bowl* in a water-bath to very nearly 

 boiling point. The material for examination is then added to the hot 

 liquid, carefully stirring all the time. When cold, the liquid, which 

 will' now have assumed a yellow colour, is poured off, without, how- 

 ever, disturbing the sediment, and is replaced by fresh liquid. The 

 alcohol is allowed slowly to evaporate, a thermostat at a temperature 

 of 50 being used for the purpose. At the end of one to two days the 

 faecal matter will be evenly distributed through the pure glycerine, and 

 may be kept for future use. For microscopic purposes, it will only be 

 necessary to place a small drop of the sediment upon the middle of a 

 glass slide containing a small quantity of warm glycerine gelatine. 

 The drop of faecal matter is stirred into the glycerine gelatine, the 

 preparation is covered with a cover-glass, and, when cold, the edges 

 are painted round with varnish. 



Looss, Handb. der Troperikrankli., i, 1905, p. 39. 



