I2 3 



CHAPTER XI. 



FILARI^ WHOSE EMBRYOS ARE NOT FOUND 

 IN THE BLOOD. 



Guinea-worm. This filaria differs in so many respects 

 from the other filariidae that it must be placed in a 

 separate group, and the old generic name' Dracunculus 

 (Kampfer, 1694) should be retained. These worms 

 have been found in several animals, horses, dogs, 

 leopards, &c., but are probably in the main parasites of 

 man (fig. 56). 



Dracuncuhis medinensis in its mature form has a mouth 

 and oesophagus, but the intestine is rudimentary and 

 there is no anus. Only one uterine tube is found, and 

 this opens close to the mouth. When quite mature the 

 whole length of this uterine tube is distended with fluid 

 containing the free embryos (fig. 58). The mouth is 

 terminal and surrounded by two large and four small 

 papillae. The tail terminates abruptly in a small, sharply 

 bent hook. The males were found by Leiper in an infected 

 monkey. They were very small, 22 mm. in length, and 

 were found under the peritoneum quite separate from the 

 females. There were five pairs of post-anal papillae. 



The adult filaria averages about 40 in. in length, but 

 varies considerably, as some specimens are only i ft. and 

 others 5 or even 6 ft. in length. Instances of much 

 greater length are recorded in early writings, but these 

 measurements are much in excess of any recorded in 

 modern times. 



During the greater part of its stay in the body it causes 

 no symptoms, but when mature it perforates the skin of 

 the host and escapes, in part, from the body. It is the 



