REPORTS OF CASES. 
91 
enteritis with probable peritonitis. Permission was obtained 
for a post-mortem examination immediately, with the follow¬ 
ing results: 
Upon opening into the abdominal cavity a large quantity 
of fluid was present, showing evidence that ascites had ex¬ 
isted, for a few days at least, before death. The peritoneum 
was very much inflamed, and many parts of the intestines, 
both large and small, showed evidence of severe inflamma¬ 
tion, and the remainder badly congested. Two or three large 
worms were noticed immediately upon the outer surface of 
the small intestines, and at first thought perhaps the knife 
had accidentally touched an intestine sufficiently when open¬ 
ing the colt to open it and the lumbracoid had come out in 
that way while I was engaged in examining other parts. But 
examination proved this not to be the case. 
Pushing the intestines aside I soon came across particles 
.of corn, oats, hay and other food particles. Now I looked 
for a rupture. Following the duodenum from the stomach 
backward, I finally came to a small rupture about large 
enough to admit one’s little finger, through which the food 
and parasites had found their way. On either side of this 
aperture for several feet there were parasites by the hun¬ 
dreds, singly and matted together. The largest of these rolls 
of parasites was located about six inches below the aperture. 
It was a very large roll of ascaris megalocephala from five to 
nine inches in length completely filling the canal. The rup¬ 
ture in the intestine had, as near as could be judged, occurred 
at least ten days before, as its edges were thickened and healed 
over, leaving the round aperture. But little food was found 
in the small intestine and not a great deal in the large ones. 
The stomach, however, was full to the extent of its capacity, 
and fermentation of this food had to some extent taken place. 
Other cases have come under my notice during my three 
years’ practice, upon which, 1 am sorry to say, I could 
not hold a post-mortem, owing to distance at the time of 
death. I am fully convinced that death has been produced 
by these parasites inducing enteritis, and, as in the above, peri¬ 
tonitis also. 
