216 DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF LOCOMOTION 



rheumatism in animals is usually chronic and the prognosis 

 unfavorable. The disease generally lasts several months with 

 exacerbations and remissions. Many of the patients unable to 

 stand die of decubitus. Others which recover from the acute 

 attacks are left with an incurable deforming arthritis with 

 contracture and anchylosis of the joint and great muscular 

 atrophy. 



Treatment. — ^As a specific treatment for articular rheuma- 

 tism sahcylate of soda has been highly recommended. It 

 should be given in very large doses. In the horse a daily dose 

 may be as high as three ounces usually given in one ounce 

 doses, three times daily. Other remedies are acetanilid (5j) 

 and salol (Bj). Local applications of heat to joints relieve 

 pain and assist somewhat in resorption. Antiphlogistin is 

 useful in this regard where it can be applied. 



TRICHINOSIS. 



Definition. — A disease of swine and more rarely of other 

 animals due to the presence of the larvae of the Trichina 

 spiralis. This parasite is harbored by swine in both the adult 

 and larval forms. The adult worms live in the bowels, the 

 larvae in the muscles. 



Occurrence. — ^Trichina are very common in swine. Prob- 

 ably 5 per cent, of American hogs harbor the parasite. Occa- 

 sionally outbreaks of trichinosis occur in man from eating 

 the flesh of the hog which has not been thoroughly cooked. 



Mode of Infestation. — Swine are generally infested by eating 

 rats, which very commonly harbor trichina, or the carcasses 

 or offal of infested swine. In a few isolated instances horses 

 have been infested through rats. Mice can also be the host 

 of trichina. In the life cycle of this parasite four stages of 

 development are recognized: 



(a) The larvae which develop in the intestine into sexually 

 mature males and females. One week after infestation the 

 females bear living embryos. 



(6) The embryos wander into the muscles passing through 

 the chyle vessels into the thoracic duct and from there 

 through the bloodvessels to the muscles. 



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