48 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
On opening the small intestines the previously mentioned 
odour was felt almost overpoweringly. 
In the bowels there were masses of round worms interlaced 
with one another, all along the small intestine from the duodenum 
to the end of the ileum. There were not many in the large 
intestine. 
It is no exaggeration to state that the worms numbered several 
hundreds, only the extraordinary overpowering odour prevented 
them being carefully counted. 
The small intestine was slightly inflamed, but not markedly so. 
The bile duct was found to be much enlarged ; on making an 
opening it was seen to be filled with round worms. 
Eleven fairly well-developed specimens of ascaris lay side by 
side in the duct. 
There were no worms in the cystic duct, but in the gall bladder, 
which did not contain any bile, there was a single ascaris, which 
was doubled upon itself. 
Upon slitting up the bile ducts it was found that the worms 
penetrated into the liver along dilated bile passages in many 
directions, till they lay just beneath the capsule. Tracing these 
bile passages upwards towards the diaphragm, it was found that 
in three instances the ends of the worms lying near the capsule 
were surrounded by small abscess cavities. 
The pancreas was slightly inflamed, and an ascaris was found 
lying along the whole length of the duct of Wirsung from near its 
junction with the common bile duct to near its splenic extremity. 
Remarks. 
There is no doubt in my mind that the death of this woman 
was due directly to poisoning by the enormous numbers of 
ascarides which lived in her small intestine. No one who felt 
the effects of that peculiar odour upon himself could doubt the 
toxic effect of these worms upon the living body. 
There is, of course, no doubt that the ascarides penetrated the 
liver during life, and that they caused the three little abscesses 
and the dilated bile passages. 
There is more doubt as to whether the ascaris in the duct of 
Wirsung was ante- or post-mortem, but taking into consideration 
the slightly inflamed condition of the pancreas, I am inclined to 
believe that it was ante-mortem. 
Abscess of the liver, single or multiple, caused by ascarides is 
apparently very rare, but it is by no means unknown, cases having- 
been recorded by Tonnele, Pellizari, Forget, Lebert, Lobstein, 
