INTESTINAL HELMINTHIASIS. 



267 



3. Chickens and pigeons are often infected in an epiornithic^ 

 manner by the Heterakis. The affection is characterized by diar- 

 rhea, an intense thirst, weakness and paresis, apathy, emaciation, 

 pectoral atrophy, weakness of the wings, which are hanging, by 

 ruffling and falling out of the feathers, etc. (Uuterberger). Cases 

 of sudden death are not rare. We often observe in the pigeon a 

 true epiornithic^ due to Heterakis maculosa. As many as 500 of 

 these parasites have been found in the intestine of a single pigeon. 

 Heterakis inflexa causes the same symptoms in the chicken (it may 

 go astray in the oviduct and penetrate into the egg). 



In other animal species the ascarides do not offer any clinical 

 interest. At the autopsy of a calf which had shown curious 

 symptoms during life (swelling up and clonic movements of the 

 jaws). Deschamps found in the intestines fifteen litres of ascarides. 



Treatment. The anthelmintics which we may use with advan- 

 tage against the nematode worms in general, and the ascarides in 

 particular, are the following : 



1. In the horse: tartar emetic in a dose of 15 to 20 grammes in 

 drinks or electuary, to be administered with bitters, in three or four 

 doses at intervals of three hours ; arsenous acid in a dose of 2 to 3 

 grammes, with bitters and purgatives, in pills (pulverized arsenous 

 acid, 2 to 5 grammes; pulverized aloes, 30 grammes; powder made 

 of absinthe stems, 20 grammes ; marshmallow powder and distilled 

 water, q. s. for two pills) ; essence of turpentine in a dose of 100 

 to 200 grammes in emulsion ; fetid animal oil, 20 to 30 grammes ; 

 benzine, 50 to 100 grammes ; " semen contra vermes," 100 to 200 

 grammes, with tartar emetic and alkalines in electuary ; rhizome 

 of male fern, essence of tansy (40 to 50 drops), absinthe, gentian, 

 asafœtida, creolin (50 to 150 grammes). Formerly we used also 

 the powder made of the seed of the Strychnos potatorum, but this 

 agent is dangerous. As a preparatory measure to the anthelmintic 

 treatment we give sugar beets and turnips. 



2. In the dog, the drug to which we should give the preference 

 is santonin, in a dose of 0.05 to 0.2 gramme, given with sugar, 

 and afterward a purging with castor oil. We have besides the 

 extract of male fern, the picrate of potash, creolin, etc. A vulgar 

 remedy is the decoction of garlic in milk, per os or per anum. 



[1 Used in preference to the word epizootic. — w. l. z.] 

 [' Used instead of epidemic, as in the original. — w. l. z.] 



