134 PHALEN AND NICHOLS. 



The writers roceutly made post-iiiorteiu examinations of twenty-two clogs 

 at the city pound and foimd one dog with his right heart filled with adult 

 worms, while the lungs contained very numerous embryos. The filaria 

 of the horse, probably Filaria papulosa, has been reported from several 

 places in the Provinces of La Laguna and Batangas. It may be ob- 

 served swimming around in the fluid of the anterior chamber of the 

 eye, and can usually be easily extracted. Dr. Thompson of the Alabang 

 stock farm has recently observed two such cases. A trip was made to 

 the fcirm for the purpose of securing a specimen, but the parasite had 

 I'etired into the posterior chamber of the eye, and could not be discovered. 



VI. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. 



Since filariasis possesses such disastrous potentialities, it should be 

 incumbent upon us to take precautions against it, especially in sections 

 where it is known to be most prevalent. These precautions are not 

 difficiilt, and as the protection from mosquitoes is one of the prime 

 requisites, and is a matter quite as much of comfort as of safety, this 

 measure is usually fairly well carried out. The other measure, also 

 very easy, is the examination at night of the blood of the house-servants 

 for the parasite, and the prompt discharge of any that are found infected. 

 jSTo consideration should suffice to keep a subject harboring filarife about 

 the house of an American or European. Any measure of protection 

 for the mass of the Filipino people must be hopeless, unless possibly 

 a mosquito crusade covering the whole Islands were undertaken, but 

 the energy of such crusades is usually too quickly dissipated to avail 

 much against such a persistent disease. 



The investigation of the Philippine Scouts will probably result in the 

 discharge of the infected individuals, and the examination of the blood 

 for filaria, of applicants from areas which have shown a high percentage 

 of infection, required as a part of the examination for enlistment in tliat 

 branch of the Army. 



VII. CONCLUSIONS. 



Many writers have spoken of the irregular, often erratic, distribution of 

 filariasis. Scheube * speaks of the small, narrowly circumscribed centers 

 to Avhich the disease is frequently confined even in tropical countries, and 

 this despite the fact that the surrounding regions present to all appear- 

 ances exactly similar conditions. 



The valley of the Ivinali Eiver in Albay seems to present sonic such 

 endemic center, although the whole surrounding country appears to be 

 infected to a lesser extent. There are probably other small centers in 

 Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. A local distribution of the filaria-carrying 



■•Diseases of warm countries (1892), 389. 



