258 (;akuison, leynes, axu llamas. 



We believe that the real importance of intestinal inl'eetions with animal 

 parasites, and es])ecially with hookworms, as a factor in I'hilippine 

 hygienic and industrial conditions is still far from being satisfactorily 

 deteimincd and that it will not be determined with a precision and 

 definiteness in harmony with the present standards of medical science 

 until much more work has !)een done in the provincial districts them- 

 selves where the people can be studied under representative conditions. 

 We belie\e that already deductions have been made with regard to the 

 medical importance of certain parasites which go far beyond what the 

 actual known facts will warrant and in presenting this latest contribution 

 to oui- knowledge of these infections we shall limit ourselves to such con- 

 clusions as appear justifiable upon grounds positively ascertained by the 

 results of work actually done in the Islands. 



In the studies performed at Taytay as in the work done at Bilibid 

 Prison, only one cover-glass preparation of the stool was examined in 

 the great majority of cases and it is realized that light infections were 

 probably missed frequently. Most of the stools wei-e passed after a dose 

 of epsom salts though many were collected from people without such 

 previous treatment. The great majority of the specimens were examined 

 the same morning they were passed, usually within two or three hours,, 

 but frequently a specimen would be kept over night before being brought 

 to us, necessitating care in order to avoid confusing the embryos of 

 hookworms and Strongyloides and undoubtedly reducing somewhat the 

 number of infections found with intestinal protozoa. The number of 

 such old specimens examined was not sufficiently great ho\ve\er to account 

 in any great measure for the marked disparity between our findings at 

 Taytay and those of ourselves and of other workers elsewhere with regard 

 to the frequency of intestinal ainahci' and flagellates in the Philippines. 



In addition to the usual clinical record kept of all cases, patients in- 

 fected with hookworms and with amabce \vere specially studied and notes 

 made of the presence or absence of symptoms arising from cliese-infoctions. 



The distribution of the various infections in different ages and in the 

 two sexes offei-s some points of interest. 



AGE AND SEX DISTllIBUTION. 



The prevalence of infections in males and in females and in various 

 age groups is shown in Tables 3, 3, 4, and 6. 



In general the age and sex distribution agrees with that which has 

 been found in other localities. 



Any significant differences in ihe frequency of infection in the sexes 

 or in the different age groups will be considered under the head of each 

 parasite separately. 



