7
September 1910, and this proved on examination to be Schistosomum
Indicum, a parasite also of the horse, donkey and probably sheep. (Iden-
tification confirmed by Dr. Leiper of London School of Tropical Medicine.)
Subsequently the parasite was found in 5 camels out of 18 examined.
The common situation is the mesenteric veins of the large intestine and
often also of the small intestine ; in one case in which a pair of the parasites
was found in almost every collateral branch these veins showed the marked
appearance of passive congestion associated with the Bilharziosis of other
animals. Other situations are the portal vein, and veins of omasum.
None of the hosts had enteritis. Judging from the bodily condition of the
hosts, the parasite is only of practical importance when the infection is severe ;
the passive congestion of the portal system is then perhaps one of the factors
which retard the return to condition of some cases of natural recovery from
Surra.
It was noted that the parasites had survived long courses of treatment of
their hosts with Arsenic and Antimony compounds and with 01 Tereb.
LINGUATULA LARVAE AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH PERITONITIS
IN THE CAMEL.
36. This year it has been found that these larvae are extremely common in
camels, and show a predilection for the group of glands draining the coecum
and colon.
The affected glands are generally inflamed in patches and show little
cavities where the parasites have been encysted. More rarely they may
also be found in the mesenteric glands of the small intestine.
Last year I described a productive peritonitis occurring in camels in
Montgomery affecting chiefly the colic portion of the mesentery ; suspecting
Linguatula larvæ I again visited the district in September 1910, but being
unable to get a case of the disease was only able to show that the parasite is
found in the district, being present in one camel out of three examined.
In October, however, a case of Acute peritonitis occurred at Sohawa
which seemed to throw some light on the matter. The camel was an old
one in good condition but affected with Surra, and destined for experimental
treatment ; he arrived on 4th October and was kept for observations of blood
and temperature until 17th when the first symptoms of peritonitis were
noticed. Up to this date, he had been grazed and fed along with 20 others
under ideal conditions, the weather was good and no reason for the onset
of the disease could be discovered. He died in 3½ days and on postmortem
peritonitis was the only lesion ; it was acute and most pronounced in the
mesenteries of colon rectum and small intestine and in the peritoneal covering
of the bowel.
The glands of the coecum and colon were intensely inflamed, contained
large numbers of Linguatula taenioides larvae and were full of cavities which
had been occupied by the parasites, many of these cavities opening on the
outer surface of the glands. There was no enteritis nor was any other channel
for infection found. No free larvae were found in the peritoneal cavity. The
functional destruction of the glands due to the large number of larvae appears
to have allowed the access of bacteria from the intestine to the peritoneum.
The form of peritonitis met with in Montgomery will probably be found
to be due to the same cause ; and it is rather suggestive that haemorrhage
from the nose was noted as an occasional symptom last year.
PARASITIC BRONCHITIS.
37. This disease, which from all accounts is not uncommon in camels
in Egypt, seems to be rare in Northern India. Search for the causal parasite
(Strongylus filaria) has been made part of the routine in all postmortem
examinations now numbering about 136 and in only one case has the parasite
been found present. Yet outbreaks of the disease in sheep are frequently
met with.
In this camel there was a fairly frequent cough beginning on 3rd
September and lasting about 2 weeks when it became less frequent and ceased
altogether in another week. The animal had Surra as well and was destroyed
16 days after the cough had gone. On postmortem, small patches of at