DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 38S 



This worm is also called the inaw-worm, thread- 

 worm, etc. It is a small, white worm, usually 

 found in the rectum, cecum and colon, and is 

 about from half an inch to two inches long. Ver- 

 rill says that this, like other species of oxyuris, 

 produces eggs having firm shells. These probably 

 hatch in water, and the embryos may be thus swal- 

 lowed in drinking. The intestines of these para- 

 sites are generally filled with vegetable matters 

 derived from the food of the animal in which they 

 live, and the structure of the digestive organ 

 seems to be adapted to vegetable food. For this 

 reason it is probable that they ordinarily cause 

 little or no inconvenience to the horse they in- 

 habit. 



Symptoms: The most marked symptom is the 

 incrustation of a yellowish white mass at the 

 verge of the rectum of the horse; such agglutina- 

 tions afford sure evidence of the existence of in- 

 testinal worms. Their presence in the rectum 

 causes itching, evinced by the animal rubbing its 

 tail. If these worms are numerous and extend up 

 into the colon they may interfere with the health 

 of the horse causing weakness, dry hair and a gen- 

 eral unthrifty appearance. These worms are more 

 common in young animals than in adults. 



Treatment: When the worms inhabit the rec- 

 tum they are easily gotten rid of by injections, 

 such as two ounces of quassia chips infused over 

 night in a pint of water, or two drams of tincture 

 chloride of iron mixed in a pint of water. The 

 rectum should first be well cleaned out by injec- 



