Medical Officers of the Army of India.
closely resembling thoe found in human anchylostomiasis, only in an exaggerat-
ed manner. There were the same irregular, petechial markings, and the same
leathery appearance along the greater curvature, the same dull, slaty blue tint
from chronic inflammation, All the other organs were healthy, except the liver,
which was dotted throughout its substance with small whitish tubercles. These
are probably cestode tubercles ; but I have not as yet had sufficient leisure to
deci e the point with certainty.
Now, in this case, there is absolutely nothing to account for the horse's con-
dition except the presence of the parasites, and, when their immense numbers,
and the serious nature of the lesions they cause are considered, it is difficult to
understand how any one can consider the cause inadequate to the effect, espe-
cially when it is remembered how much more serious in degree the injuries pro-
duced are than those effected by Dochmius in the human subject, about the
fatality of which few now entertain a doubt. There seems, however, a sort of
hostility to recognising the pathological importance of entozoa, alike among
the medical and veterinary professions, and most of us can remember the diffi-
culty with which the perfectly obvious connection between anchylostomiasis
and the pernicious anæmia which it causes gained general acceptance.
In the case of the particular parasite which we are now discussing, its fatal
importance seems to have been generally overlooked in India ; but in Europe its
adequacy to cause widely-spread mischief has been clearly recognised, at any
rate by such as are best fitted to judgeof such a matter. Speaking of Sclerosto-
mum tetracanthum, Cobbold says : " Second only in clinical importance "
(to S. equinum ) “is the little four-spined strongyle (S. telracanthus). The sexes,
often seen united, are nearly of equal size, the largest females reaching nearly
three-fourths of an inch. They infest the cœcum and colon, and have been found
in all varieties of the horse, ass, and mule. The worm occurs in immense num-
bers, and is a true bloodsucker. Its presence occasions severe colic and other
violent symptoms, often proving fatal to the bearer. As already announced in
connection with my account of the tape-worms of the horse, this little worm may
produce a virulent epidemic (epizooty), In the sexually immature state the
worm occupies the walls of the large intestine, where it gives rise to congestion,
echymosis, inflammation, and the formation of pus deposits. The species is
readily recognised by its bright red colour, by the four conical spines surround-
ing the mouth, by the two neck bristles, and by the long three-lobed hood of the
male, the posterior, three-cleft ray having a rudimentary or fourth branch at-
tached to its outer edge. In some specimens sent to me by Mr. Whitway. I
found this supplementary process fully twice as long as Schneider has represent-
ed it * * * * * * *. As regards the course of development of this worm we
have yet much to learn. Although the worm is a frequent cause of epizooty in
this country, it appears to be but little known on the Continent * * * * * As
already remarked, the evidence of the frequency and destructiveness of this
little worm in England is overwhelming."
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