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Show 126 DR. T. S. COBBOLD ON N E W OR RARE ENTOZOA. [Feb. 3, 7. A S C A R I S M A C U L O S A (Rud.). (Plate XVIII. figs. 7-10.) On the 9th of October, 1873, I received a letter from Dr. J. Alexander Macdonald, of Woburn, Bedfordshire, stating that he had forwarded to me a pigeon which had been found dead on the previous morning. It seems that the owner of the bird had erected a large pigeon-house, and had imported a number of Antwerp Smerles, these birds all continuing in a perfect state of health until about a week before the above-mentioned date, when, to use Dr. Macdonald's words, " first one and then another was attacked, and so on, until four or five of the pigeons had died after a few hours' illness." The suddenness of these attacks not unnaturally suggested poisoning; and, accordingly, says my informant, the owner " had the curiosity to open one of the birds, when, to his astonishment, he found the intestines stuffed with worms." Under these circumstances I was invited to make an accurate inspection of the pigeon forwarded to me, likewise to report the results of m y examination, and to suggest any remedial or prophylactic measures which might be likely to prove useful. Two days later I received a letter from Dr. Macdonald stating that several others of the flock had died, and it further appeared to him probable that the daily list of sick and dying would continue to increase. On the 14th of the month my informant reported that three more of the birds were dead ; but this mortality still left twenty-five birds in the owner's possessson, some of which were affected. Under these circumstances I lost no time in forwarding a full report of the facts observed, together with the recommendation that a few grains of santonine should be mixed with the food. Speaking of the birds seen on the 14th October, Dr. Macdonald says that " one which appeared in a hopeless state was at once treated (by the owner) to two grains of santonine ; " and when my informant saw the bird in the afternoon of the same day "it had so far recovered as to be hopping about and picking up food." On the 4th of the following November the same correspondent obligingly informed m e that the epidemic had been "at last mastered." It seems that altogether twelve birds had perished, the remainder now appearing perfectly It is not stated whether the final and satisfactory result appeared to be due to the administration of the remedies I had recommended ; but, in any case, the cessation of the disorder following so close upon the employment of santonine is worthy of being noticed. I had almost hoped that my report, in the interests of science, would be published; but, so far as I am aware, such has not been the case. In regard, however, to the dissection (upon which that report was mainly based), I have felt sure that the scientific and practical data it supplied were of sufficient interest to be placed on permanent record. The necessary dissections and microscopic examinations were made on the 9th and 10th of October, whilst the bird was perfectly fresh. The blood, muscles, and cellular tissues, and every organ of the body, apart from the digestive apparatus, were found to be thoroughly healthy; and it was only when the alimentary canal |
