ASCAEIS LUMBEICOIDES. 413 



middle (end) had protruded in a hemispherical form through the 

 sexual aperture. 



Of the intestinal canal we have only to say, that its commence- 

 ment is whitish and muscular, and that the oesophagus, which is 

 composed of thick layers of longitudinal and transverse muscles, 

 passes rapidly and without any particular constriction, into the 

 intestinal canal, which is thin-walled, coated with epithelium 

 internally, and shines through of a brownish colour, from the 

 brown excrement. This intestine is also furnished with a mus- 

 cular layer, which is connected by fine ramifications with the cuta- 

 neous muscles (longitudinal and circular layers). 



Between the two layers of the cutaneous muscles, which send 

 fine, fungous excrescences towards the skin, vacuoles occur, 

 which give issue to a pale-reddish, oily, albuminous substance, 

 and this is the bearer of a peculiar odorous matter, which adheres 

 to the Ascaris lumbricoides in spite of the most careful washing, 

 is very distinct from that of human excrement, and in course of 

 time communicates to the spirit in which such worms have been 

 preserved this peculiar odour, which is possessed by no other 

 entozoon. I can, however, state nothing more exact with regard 

 to this matter. 



The external integument, according to Czermak, consists of six 

 layers. It is formed of bandlike transverse rings, which do not 

 run back into one another, but are frequently cleft dichotomously, 

 and, with few exceptions, are suddenly interrupted at those places 

 which correspond with the lateral lines of the animal. Between 

 the outer laver and two lavers of fibres crossing each other 

 obliquely, and two laid at a right angle over each other, Czermak 

 saw a sixth homogeneous layer, exactly like the membrane of the 

 so-called mother-vesicles of Echinococcus. It appears to contain 

 the oily, reddish, strongly odoriferous fluid just referred to, which 

 exhibits the following phenomena of refraction : the membrane is 

 doubly refractive, and in such a manner that the directions of 

 oscillation, Avhich cross each other at right angles, are parallel to 

 the longitudinal and transverse axes of the animal. These obser- 

 vations are confirmed by Wedl, who makes the phenomena 

 analogous to those seen in the substance of the lens. 1 



Symptoms, diagnosis, and prognosis of theAscarides. — Although 

 I cannot say that I agree entirely with the words of De Filippi, 



1 Appendix C. 



