16.1 Haughwout and Horrilleno: Intestinal Parasites 65 
Commes(9) has reported some interesting observations from 
Africa which might apply in the rural districts of the Philip- 
pines. He has written of the frequency of helminthal infections 
of natives and Europeans at Bamako, Upper Senegal. The 
source of these infections, he believes, may be traced to the 
drinking water taken from the Niger. He has made periodical 
examinations of the deposit resulting from the addition of alum 
to 10 liters of river water and has found microscopically, after 
centrifugation, the ova of Trichuris, Ascaris, and Ancylostoma. 
He has found that the Tnchuris eggs occur in greatest abun- 
dance in the dry season and those of Ascaris during the winter 
months. The ova of Ancylostoma show no seasonal variation. 
Dogs abound in and about Manila to the extent that they 
constitute a real nuisance at times, but notwithstanding this 
they do not appear to figure as important factors in the spread 
of helminthal diseases. Mendoza-Guazon, in her paper describing 
the only case of human infection with Dipylidium caninum 
recorded in the Philippines, explains this on the ground that 
Filipino children of the lower classes are not fond of playing 
with dogs and cats as are the children of other races, and are 
usually kept out of the reach of these animals in their infancy. 
As regards people of the tribes that eat dog meat, she adds 
that the hair of the dog is singed before the skin is removed. 
In his study of the intestinal worms of dogs in the Phil- 
ippine Islands, Wharton (54) reported these findings in dogs 
obtained from the public pound in Manila : 
Number. infected. 
Dogs examined 118 
Dogs infected 116 97.45 
Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum) , 114 96.61 
Toxascaris limbata 8 6.77 
Gnathostoma spinigerum 8 6.77 
Spiroptera sanguinolenta 7 6.92 
Dipylidium caninum 55 46.56 
Dibothriocephalus sp 7 5.92 
Total infections 199 168.55 
At least two of the above are under suspicion as being capable 
of infesting man. Dipylidium has already been reported by 
Mendoza-Guazon, and Hall (25) has reported a case of human 
infestation with Toxascaris limbata in Michigan, U. S. A. 
Both Wharton and Mendoza-Guazon comment on the well- 
known rarity of cestode infection in the Orient, and Wharton 
adds that he has never discovered infestation with any tape- 
169496 6 
