313 
<e STRONGYEUS GIGAS^ IN THE KIDNEY OF A DOG. 
as large again as its fellow ; and on making an incision 
through its capsule, I was surprised to find that it contained 
three large worms, which, on my showing to Professor 
Simonds, he at once described as being specimens of the 
(( Strongylus gigas/’ 
The whole of the cortical and medullary portions of the 
kidney were absorbed, its capsule was thickened and con¬ 
siderably enlarged, its inner surface was ecchymosed, and 
between these spots were osseous deposits. The renal artery 
was rather smaller than it would be in a state of health, the 
vein being about the natural size. 
Besides the three strongyles, the cavity contained a small 
quantity of a reddish coloured fluid, some of which had 
apparently escaped through the partially pervious ureter into 
the bladder, as the contents of that viscus appeared of a 
dark colour. 
I am totally unacquainted with the previous history of the 
dog. A careful examination was instituted of the remaining 
viscera, but I could not detect the slighest evidence of 
disease. The dog was not at all anaemiated; but, on the 
contrary, the muscles were of a florid hue, firm, and well 
developed. The brain presented no evidence of disease, nor 
were its vessels unusually full. 
I am at a loss to account for the death. If the kidney 
had been the only organ I examined, then a great many 
hypotheses, more or less ingenious, might have been 
adduced to account for it, whereas the changes usually asso¬ 
ciated with suspended function of these organs had no 
existence. 
The contents of the stomach were not analysed, but from 
the appearance of its coats it seemed evident to me that no 
irritant poison had been the cause of death. The condition 
of the dog, and the healthy appearance of all the viscera, 
with the exception of the right kidney, seems to pre¬ 
clude the idea of his death being immediately due to the 
presence of the strongyles; but whether such was the case 
or not, I leave to the ingenuity of your numerous readers to 
decide. 
[An examination of these strongyles showed that two of 
them were females, and the other a male. The females 
greatly exceeded in size the male ; each being about twelve 
inches long, and somevhat larger in circumference than a 
full-sized goose-quill. The male was about the size of a 
crow-quill, and measured not more than nine inches in 
length. The cup-like bursa at its caudal extremity was well 
xxxii. 42 
