732 
C. W. STILES. 
ural on casual examination, but when examined carefully 
the affection is easily discovered. Inasmuch as no medical 
treatment can be applied to the optic nerve, amaurosis may 
be properly classed among the forms of paralysis that are not 
amenable to treatment. 
In summing up the treatment of paralysis, the general 
treatment consists in cold applications to spine, with febrifuges 
to counteract the febrile symptoms, and in convalescent stage 
blisters to spine, and nux vomica and iodide of potassium. 
NOTES ON PARASITES, 
By C. W. Stiles, Ph.D. 
/ 
A Word in regard to Dr. Francis’ Distomum Texanioum. 
In the October Bulletin (Number 18) of the Texas Agri¬ 
cultural Station, Dr. Francis describes a liver-fluke, which he 
supposes to be new, under the name D. Texaniciun. This par¬ 
asite, however, has been known for some time to the Bureau 
of Animal Industry, and one of the members of the Bureau 
(Dr. Hassall) described the same in the July number of this 
journal (1891) under the name Fasciola carnosa. Upon notic¬ 
ing that the specific name carnosa is preoccupied, Dr. Hassall 
changed the name to F. Americana (this journal, September, 
1891). As the species F. Americana Hassall and D. Texaniciun 
Francis are without doubt the one and the same species, Dr. 
Hassall’s specific name must of course be adopted in prefer¬ 
ence to the specific name given by Dr. Francis. The generic 
name, however, should be Distomum , and the animal in this 
case would be called D. Americanum. 
But another parasite must also here be taken into consid¬ 
eration, i. e. D. magnum Bassi, 1875, which was described by 
Prof. Bassi some years ago in Italy, and since that time has, 
by most authors, been improperly considered identical with 
D. hepaticum. D. Americanum Hassall and D. magnum Bassi 
are certainly very similar and it is more than probable that 
they are identical, but owing to the incomplete description 
Bassi gave of his species, it is exceedingly difficult to pro- 
