QQ The Philippine Journal of Science 1917 



In reviewing these records, one's attention is attracted by the 

 great frequency of the association of the disease with Ascaris 

 lumbricoides and their migratory activity. In 2 cases they were 

 found in the liver, once in the appendix, twice in the gall bladder, 

 and once in the bile ducts. 



In view of the fact that almost all these patients were either 

 taken to San Lazaro Hospital when sick or died in their homes 

 and did not receive treatment for Ascaris as did those that came 

 from the Philippine General Hospital, we cannot draw the con- 

 clusion that these parasites are one of the predisposing causes, 

 acting either by lowering the vitality of the patient or by dis- 

 turbing the function of the alimentary tract. 



Concomitant anatomical lesions. Bronchopneumonia was 

 found in 14 cases. In 6 cases of miliary tuberculosis the cholera 

 vibrio was found bacteriologically in the intestinal contents. 

 It is well known that the mere presence of these vibrios does 

 not mean that the patients were suffering from cholera. (9) 



INTESTINAL PARASITES 



The tropical climate is a favorable one for the development 

 of intestinal parasites, as, for example, has been demonstrated 

 by Wharton (52) in his study of Ascaris eggs, who found that 

 at room temperature ten days are sufficient to develop the freshly 

 laid eggs into embryos. Epstein, (14) in the United States, cul- 

 tivated the eggs of Ascaris and found that the embryo was 

 developed after five weeks, and when fed to children, the ova 

 appeared in the stools after three months. 



In our records there are 159 cases, or 15.9 per cent, of infection 

 of the four commonest nematodes — Ascaris, Trichuris, Anlcylos- 

 toma, and Oxyuris, and only 1 case of cestode, Dipylidium cani- 

 num, which was reported to the Manila Medical Association on 

 November 1, 1915.(34) 



Cautley(8) cites that girls are more frequently infected than 

 boys, but our record shows the number of boys (83) to be higher 

 than the number of girls (76). 



The migration of these worms, especially that of Ascaris lum- 

 bricoides, is remarkable. It was found five times in the liver, 

 once in the appendix, twice in the gall bladder, and once free 

 in the peritoneal cavity in a case of perforated diverticulitis. 



Oxyuris was found once in the appendix in a case of tuberculous 

 colitis. 



It seems that their migratory activity is stimulated by an 

 abnormal condition of the bowels, for in those cases where they 

 were found in the gall bladder, liver, and appendix, the patients 



