FILARI^. 405 



(the sac which cx)vers the heart), and the cavity which contains the 

 watery humour of the eye (p. 337). From the abdomen they some- 

 times descend into the sac which contains the testicles. 



All of us who have lived in India must have observed the 

 frequency with which many Arab and Persian horses suffer, in 

 that country, from a chronically enlarged condition of the testicles 

 and spermatic cord, usually brought on by the presence of filaria 

 equina (p. 342). The late Mr. J. H. Steel, when writing about 

 " big testicle and dropsical cord," states : " Almost invariably on 

 incision into the scrotum in hydrocele (dropsy of the scrotum), 

 sarcocele (tumour of the testicle), and cases of adhesions of the 

 testis to the scrotum, one or more specimens of the thread-worms 

 in question wriggle through the incision, or come away with the 

 hydrocele fluid." 



Castration appears to be the only treatment which could be 

 successfully applied to such cases. 



Filariae are also the cause of " worm in the eye " (p. 342), and 

 of one form of kumree (p. 542). 



The eggs and embryos of filariae are to be frequently found in 

 stagnant water (abundantly so in many parts of India), along with 

 which they gain access into the alimentary canal of the horse that 

 drinks the contaminated fluid. Being extremely minute, they 

 become absorbed, or work their way into the blood-vessels and 

 are taken into the blood-current to be deposited in some fitting 

 resting-place, from which, on becoming fully developed the worms 

 issue into active life. 



6. SPIROPTERA RETICULATA is a very thin, spiral-shaped 

 worm, which is about 18 inches long, when full grown, and is 

 found in fibrous tumours, principally, about the flexor tendons of 

 the fore legs. The tumours are about an inch in diameter, and 

 respectively contain a coiled-up worm in their centre. These 

 parasites are also met with in the synovial bursse of the fore legs. 

 Removal of the tumour with the knife and subsequent antiseptic 

 treatment (p. 74) of the wound are the appropriate remedies. 

 The presence of the tumours gives rise to more or less lameness. 



PREVENTION OF WORMS IN HORSES.— From a practical 

 point of view the best way for preventing horses at grass from 

 getting worms is to avoid infected pastures, keep them on dry 

 soil, see that their water supply is pure, and allow them a liberal 

 supply of rock salt. Professor Theobald wisely remarks that " one 

 of the most important things to be done in an outbreak is to 

 ensure the destruction of the dung, with its heavy complement of 



