THE ANIMAL PARASITES 655 
Treatment. 
The recognition of the existence of parasites during 
the life of an animal, especially those of the skin and 
intestinal tract whose discovery is easiest, suggests that 
some means of combating them should be employed. But 
we are by now quite satisfied that medicinal and disin- 
fective therapeutic procedures, while they have their 
field of usefulness, are much less to be depended upon 
for the protection of exhibits than are preventive meas- 
ures of general hygienic nature. Under the latter head- 
ing come the prompt removal of excreta, frequent changes 
of drinking water, routine examinations of feces of cer- 
tain varieties, autopsy examinations and incineration of 
autopsy remains — all of which are part of the require- 
ments of common cleanliness and general disease preven- 
tion. I wish to amplify the matter of disposal of feces 
and general cage-police. Our ideas as to what constitutes 
thoroughness in this work have changed considerably 
since FuUeborn's recent demonstration that ascarid ova 
(42) could live in formaldehyde for four or five years, 
and the older one of Galli-Valerio (43) that those of 
Hepaticola hepatica lived one month in 2 per cent, formal- 
dehyde solution. Evidently the same substances which 
disinfect do not invariably disinf est ; and if the occasion 
should arise for the most exacting control in this respect, 
a special investigation of the susceptibility of the indi- 
vidual ova in question would have to be undertaken. 
In addition to these general measures we have put 
up certain special safeguards against parasites. Thus, 
each specimen of the large Carnivora (lions, tigers, leop- 
ards, etc.), has received routinely a dose of santonin 
every month over a period of several years. We have 
no figures on which to base comparison with previous 
periods, but an examination of feces of all the inmates 
(42) Quoted by Jensen (V.), Hospitalstidende, Copenhagen, 1922, 65, 
No. 28, p. 457. 
(43) Centr. f. Bakt. u. Parasitk., (etc.), Jena 1— Abt. V. 35 (1), 
5, 1903, orig. p. 89. 
