26 3 



sun-fish, when dissected, displayed no signs of parasitism. 

 Over and over again it has been my lot to point to evidences 

 of extensive parasitism in animals where others had pre- 

 viously denied its existence, and even in cases where 

 skilful anatomists have been engaged in dissections, I have 

 witnessed such oversights. These so-called "negative 

 results," as they supposed them to be, arose partly from a 

 want of familiarity with the various helminthic types, but 

 more particularly from the circumstance that the various 

 organs of the body of the affected hosts were not exhaus- 

 tively dealt with. In this matter I attach no blame to 

 any one ; for, had I not by long study and by strange 

 experiences been brought face to face with the evidences 

 of diseased conditions resulting from the action of parasites 

 in all classes of vertebrated life, I should have remained 

 to this day as sceptical on this subject as others necessarily 

 are. Fifty years hence the truth of views that are now 

 commonly rejected will perhaps be accepted not only by 

 professional persons, but also by scientists and by cultured 

 persons generally. 



DISCUSSION. 



Dr. DAY said the meeting must not separate without a 

 vote of thanks to Dr. Cobbold for his exceedingly interest- 

 ing paper. They knew that amongst the helminthologists 

 of Europe, nobody held a higher position, and that for 

 many years he had been at work on these little animals. 

 It was exceedingly important to know that Dr. Cobbold 

 was as good a practitioner in destroying these parasites as 

 he was in finding them. 



