THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. LII. 
No. 618. 
JUNE, 1879. 
Fourth Series, 
No. 294. 
Communications and Cases. 
FACTS IN FILABJASIS. 
By J. L. Paterson, M.D., Bahia. Communicated to 
Professor Coebold. 
The observations, detailed below, were undertaken by Dr. 
Hall and myself for the purpose of ascertaining, with some 
approach to accuracy, in what proportion the general popu¬ 
lation of this place are infested with the Filaria sanguinis 
hominis, and whether the existence of that parasite in the 
blood be associated, either as cause or effect, with any 
particular class or classes of diseases. 
On the first point our observations, as will appear in the 
sequel, throw considerable light; the second remains, and 
will probably for long remain, as dark as ever, and the 
wisest course, perhaps, in the meantime, is to collect and 
authenticate facts, as they arise, leaving their co-ordination 
and fusion into a coherent system to a wider and more accu¬ 
rate knowledge than we as yet possess. This is what we 
have attempted to do. 
During the two months, from the 23rd September to the 
22nd November inclusive, we examined microscopically 
the blood of 309 individuals, taken at random, and without 
reference to the diseases they suffered, or might be supposed 
to suffer from. They were, in fact, the first five or six indi¬ 
viduals, not already examined, who happened to present 
themselves, day after day, at the consultorio. 
LIT. 
29 
