266 ANIMAL PARASITES. 



human subject; that is, the passage of Distoma with the fseces 

 or matters vomited. How this is possible every one will perceive 

 who has seen, in the warm liver just taken out of the freshly 

 killed animal, the ductus choledochus stuffed full of these animals, 

 or who has found flukes in the intestines, on killing or dissecting 

 the animals in the spring, about the time of their first going to 

 the meadows, the occurrence of which is well known to all 

 observant sheep-breeders and veterinarians, and was also proved 

 to me by Professor Haubner. Nay, credible sheep-breeders have 

 assured me that they have often found these worms in the spring 

 upon the droppings of the sheep. Tlie passage of the Distoma 

 upwards or downwards is therefore the only pathognomonic indi- 

 cation of their presence in an animal or individual. 



As regards the prognosis the Disto?na-ma\a.dy , although not 

 dangerous, is generally unfavorable, because at present our know- 

 ledge of remedies which pass to the liver and act upon the gall- 

 ducts is very scanty ; our knowledge of true anthelmintic remedies 

 is still more so ; we know nothing at all of remedies which can 

 reach the gall-ducts, or of any certain means of prophylaxis. 

 We must consequently leave everything to external circumstances, 

 and involuntarily throw ourselves upon the goodness of Providence. 



Therapeutics. — In this case, as with the preceding worms, the 

 therapeutics are divisible into prophylaxis and direct treatment. 



If we commence for once with the latter point, the general 

 laws of therapeutics will show that, after the detection of the 

 malady, calomel must be recommended, and perhaps still more 

 those mineral waters which appear to act upon the gall- ducts and 

 on the formation of gall-stones, such as Carlsbad, Marienbad, 

 Kissingen, and similar springs. Together with these remedies 

 we might have the greatest expectation from Durand's medicine 

 for gall-stones, the well-known mixture of oil of turpentine with 

 sulphuric ether, on account of the turpentine, that chief remedy for 

 worms. Experiments with santonine were made without result 

 in a sheep-fold, the proprietor of which is an extremely intelligent 

 agriculturist. By the administration of gypsum it was thought 

 that the disorder was cured, at least the sheep became less chlorotic, 

 more vigorous, fresher in appearance, and better in appetite. 

 For my part I regard the action of the gypsum only as sympto- 

 matic. The worms were probably but little touched by it, and 

 the beneficial effect of the process probably lay in the improve- 



