PARASITES.                          273

distoma, for I believe it to be such, at least as far as I am able
to judge in comparing its diagnosis with those mentioned in Davaine,
" Traite des entozoaines," of which at pages 49 and 322 a very
accurate description is given, with the exception of some slight
variations, which only determine this to be a different species.

" The form of the one (a specimen is herewith sent) now
spoken of is somewhat more round, which I think may be likened
in shape to the old-fashioned lady's reticule, and of about the size
of the nail of the forefinger. The body is compressed, soft, with two
distinct orifices—one marginal, forming as it were a small pointed
distension on its margin, the other between the middle and anterior
sixth of the body. Just above the ventral orifice there is a kind of
elongated appendage or sucker, in length about the same as the
body, but when pulled out by the forceps extends beyond the margin ;
it appears slightly elastic with the end distended. Under the
microscope the external covering or epidermis appears pitted and,
when subjected to the action of dilute nitric acid and mounted on
a slide in Canada balsam, the intestinal ducts are plainly visible
containing dark-coloured granules, being free near the orifices, but
thickly reticulated towards the margins with clavate terminations.
There are, as far as I could discover, no hooklets in mouths, as
stated to be in echinococcus or larva? of taeniae. From the absence
of these characteristics, I have been led to conclude it to be a
species of distoma.

" * * * Davaine mentions that animals such as the ox and
horse frequenting marshy, swampy places are subject to the distoma.
It is most probably the truth, but I think during very prolonged hot
weather, when the water is reduced to its lowest stagnant state and
mixed with the lower organisms of animal life, the elephant then
imbibes them with the water in their embryonic form. In this
opinion, I believe, I am in a great sense supported, for from inquiry I
find the virulent diseases which have attacked cattle in Burma have
been during a heavy monsoon, after a continued hot season.

"* * * The disease is not one which develops its symptoms
by different stages, but carries the elephant off in a few hours and
might, I am sure, be taken for apoplexy, or inflammation of lungs,
for the symptoms correspond in character with those described by
Dr. Gilchrist. The elephant exhibits difficulty in breathing ; it
keeps its mouth open, is restless in most cases, and refuses food ;
there is a puffiness about the head and shoulders.

" Besides the Commissariat Department, others have suffered
in the loss of elephants. The Forest Department lost their elephants
and reports have reached me that wild elephants have died.
This may be, for the wild elephants in a droughty season are

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