STRONGYLUS LONGEVAGINATUS. 381 



nothing either of one or the other. If several worms, or one 

 large female be present, the kidneys will be enlarged and 

 an enlargement will be detected by palpation, percussion, and 

 perhaps by inspection ; but the cause of this swelling, of any 

 flow of blood from the urinary passages, or of any existing 

 retention of urine, would only be recognisable when worms have 

 actually passed from the bladder. Therapeutics can only inter- 

 fere after the passage has taken place, and then only to alleviate 

 irritation, by mucilaginous or oily remedies, which pass into the 

 urinary passages, such as emulsions and mucilaginous decoctions, 

 and tea. 



2. Stronpjlus longevaginatus (Diesing) = Filaria hominis bronchi- 

 alts (liudolphi), seu Hamularia subcompressa (Treutter and 

 Rudolphi). PI. VIII, fig. 2 a and b. 



In the year 1790, Treutter, on opening the emaciated body of 

 a man of 28 years old, weakened by onanism, venereal excesses, 

 and mercurial treatment, with a hereditary predisposition to 

 dropsy and consumption, found in the unnaturally enlarged 

 bronchial glands small worms measuring more or less than an 

 inch, which were elongated, roundish, somewhat compressed 

 laterally, blackish-brown, sometimes spotted with white, somewhat 

 diminished towards the anterior extremity, semi-transparent 

 towards the posterior extremity, and incurved at both ends after 

 death. According to him there were two moveable, projecting 

 hooklets on the head. The indistinct caudal extremity was 

 obtuse. Of this Treutter made a peculiar genus, with the fol- 

 lowing description : " Corpus linear e, teretiuscidum, caput oblusum, 

 infra 2 hamulis prominentibus instructum." But Bremser with 

 perfect justice disputed the independence of this genus, proved 

 that the worms in question must be distinguished from the 

 Filaria which occurred, for example, in the thoracic cavity of the 

 shrikes, and reckoned amongst those worms which lludolphi, 

 Olfers, and Leuckart, as well as Natterer had found in the 

 lungs of the species of Mustela. He also supported this 

 opinion by the circumstance, that, according to Treutter, these 

 worms were attached by the proboscis with such extraordinary 

 firmness to the mucous membrane, that they could only be 

 removed from it with extreme care, and scarcely without tearing 

 them to pieces, as is the case in the Entozoa of the Mustela. 



