360 
Filaria volvulus 
Africa. Previously to this, Prout (1901) had given a detailed de¬ 
scription of two worms found in a native of Sierra Leone. Finally 
Fulleborn (1908) wrote a critical article, illustrating the text with 
some interesting photomicrographs and diagrams. Besides contrasting 
his observations with those of Prout and others, this writer is inclined 
to think that the Cameroons has supplied him with a new species of 
filaria. 
. Occurrence. It will be noticed at once that Africa has supplied all 
the cases of F. volvulus hitherto reported. Moreover, with the exception 
of four cases recorded by Cooke in Uganda, the distribution appears 
to be limited to Western Tropical Africa. My own experience, too, 
corresponds with that of other observers, who lay stress on the fact that 
the subjects of F. volvulus are usually inhabitants of riverine districts. 
Fulleborn (1908), on the authority of Kulz, states that in the valley or 
district of the Wuri about 10 °/ 0 of the men are infested. This would 
seem to show that F. volvulus is a common parasite in certain parts of 
the Cameroons. The neighbourhood of the Welle river in the Congo 
State also appears to be associated with the parasite, though according 
to Manson (1908) F. volvulus is not found on the Congo river: further 
investigations will probably modify this statement. Practically all the 
West African Colonies have contributed cases of F. volvulus, and we 
find the disease to which it gives rise reported as existing in the Congo, 
the Cameroons, Dahomey, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and lastly, Nigeria. 
Dr Leiper informs me that the parasite has also been found in Uganda, 
so that, for the present, F. volvulus appears to be limited in a peculiar 
manner to the equatorial zone of the ‘ Dark Continent.’ This may be 
due to lack of observation and insufficient data, or to a curious 
distribution of the intermediate host. Possibly both causes are at 
work. Personally, I venture to think, that, if every little subcutaneous 
tumour occurring in the negroid inhabitants of tropical Africa were 
examined ex corpore, it would be found that this form of filariasis was 
not at all uncommon. It is hardly necessary to say that in races so 
addicted to glandular enlargements as the African races are, mere 
casual observation is useless; consequently the suspected tumours must 
be excised for purposes of examination and diagnosis. 
The subjoined table shows the chief clinical features of the live 
cases that form the subject of this paper. 
