440 Veterinary Medicine. 



between the lobes. In female the vulva is near the head ; the 

 oviducts double and filled with ova and free embryos. Ovovivi- 

 parous. 



Hosts. Habitats. The Filaria Reticulata has been found in 

 equine animals only. Its usual habitat is in the connective tissue 

 surrounding the tendons, especially the flexors, in the metacarpal 

 region. It has however been found in the synovial sheaths of the 

 flexor tendons, between the knee and fetlock, and in the connect- 

 ive tissue covering the ligamentum nuchas. It was first recorded 

 by Ferguson at Dublin in 1838 (Veterinarian) ; later by Hermann 

 and Bleiweiss at Vienna in 1840. Since that date specimens have 

 been found at intervals (Ercolani, Gurlt, Miiller, Zurn, Baumgar- 

 ten, Gottij Baruchello, Bassi, Vigezzi, Tschudlowski, Popow, 

 Railliet, Moussu, etc.) 



Distribution. This appears to be extensive, embracing Great 

 Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Siberia, and 

 America. At Kazan it is so common that Tschulowski found it in 

 51 of the 53 horses examined. 



Age, Season. The worm has been found in horses of all ages, 

 and at all seasons, though most frequently in spring and summer. 



Symptoms. These may consist in lameness without any ap- 

 preciable cause, in cases in which the worms are so deeply seated 

 as to give rise to no visible swelling, or in cases in which the 

 swelling has not grown to proportions that can be recognized. 

 As the favorite seat of the worm is in the metacarpal or metatarsal 

 region, those forms of halting which indicate that part as the 

 seat of sufEering may be suspected of a filarious origin. 



When the local lesions are more obvious they may still be con- 

 fined to distension of the synovial sheaths known as the carpal or 

 tarsal arch (thorough-pin of knee or hock) or of the sesamoids 

 (windgalls). In the absence of any sprain, puncture or brui.se, 

 such synovial distensions may be punctured with a hypodermic 

 needle, under antiseptic precautions, and the escaping synovia 

 may be found to contain numbers of the embryos, 300 /x. to 400 \t. 

 long by 6 /A to 9 /x broad, each showing a delicate digestive tube 

 extending through its whole length. 



The same is true of the synovia of the distended fetlock joint 

 or of the first or second digital joint. The swelling and semi- 

 flexion indicate the implication of the joint, and the presence of 



