458 Taenia Echinococcus in the Domestic Dog. [June 18, 



In all four places Taenia Echinococcus was found in the stray dogs 

 captured by the police. 



1. Adelaide. — In the first instance, twenty dogs were examined here. 

 Taenia Echinococcus was found in nine, and in numbers varying from a 

 few specimens up to many thousands. (Microscopic specimens of some 

 of these accompany this paper.) 



2. Mount Gamhier. — Five dogs were examined here on December 7, 

 1882. Two contained numerous examples of Taenia Echinococcus. 



3. Millicent. — Out of four dogs examined, one contained this 

 parasite. 



4. Penola. — The single dog examined at this place had thousands of 

 specimens of Toenia Echinococcus in its small intestine. 



Including all the dogs examined in 1882 (thirty in number) no 

 fewer than 40 per cent, were infested by this dangerous tapeworm. 



However it should be stated that nine dogs have been examined by 

 me more recently, and that in only one of these could I find Tcenia 

 Echinococcus. This series of dogs differed from the former one in 

 some respects. The first group of dogs consisted of vagrant and 

 ownerless animals that must have picked up their living largely from 

 slaughter-houses, butchers' shops, and offal heaps. These naturally 

 would have many opportunities of eating the viscera of slaughtered 

 animals, cast aside as unfit for sale. When the second series was 

 procured, a very energetic raid against unregistered dogs had been 

 made by the police for several months, consequently many of the dogs 

 of this group had owners, by whom they were fed, but who were 

 unwilling to pay the registration fee required by law. 



In Melbourne. — Ten stray dogs collected in the town of Hotham 

 (which is really a part of Melbourne) were examined on January 15th 

 and 16th, 1883. Fiveoi them contained Tcenia Echinococcus in greater 

 or less number. These observations show a very alarming prevalence 

 of this dangerous parasite in the places where inquiry into the matter 

 has been made, and fully explain the frequency of the cystic form 

 (hvatid) both in man and the domestic herbivora of these localities. 



In connexion with this subject, it may be mentioned that, according 

 to Cobbold, this tapeworm has never been seen in any English dog 

 which had not previously been experimentally infected. 



Even in Iceland only 28 per cent, of the dogs examined by Krabbe 

 were found to contain this tapeworm. 



