Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1890 A WARNING NOTE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2321, 6 January 1890, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1890 A WARNING NOTE.

Some months ago, under the heading il Cave Canem," we drew the attention of our readers to the existence of a danger to health and even life against which it is necessary to guard. We refer to the numerous cases of hydatid disease directly traceable to our domestic pets, the dog and the cat. .Recently we have heard from Dunedin and Oamara of several such cases, some of them being of a most distressing nature. These bydatids are parasitic developments which involve painful operations in the most favorable circumstances, while in others, owing to the seat of the disease, operating is out of the question and death after excruciating agonies is inevitable. Originating with the dog and cat, the germs of the disease attach themselves to the grass or are found in the water lapped by those animals, thus passing into the intestines of cattle and pigs where they become tapeworms. Jn turn- the germs find their way into the human frame where they develop into bydatids, small internal parasites, which bore their way to the muscular structure and enclosing themselves in cysts work speedy destruction. Upon this subject Mr'N. Marquis, V.8., thus writes to the «Timaru Herald":— " Within the \mt three months an unusual pest has put in an appearance among animals to some extent, namely, tapeworm, or as it is scientifically known tense. It is not so much from its presence being seen in the lower animals that I write, but being seen there, as a Blatter.of course, it is bound to find its way into the human subject. For a full description of parasitic developments I beg to refer those interested to Cobbold's entozoa. Suffice it to say, that the original germ from which proceeds the tapeworm, emanates from a deposition in the fceces of the dog and cat genus, which finds its way into the drinking water of animals and men, where it undergoes a metamorphosis and appears as tapeworms on expulsion from their host. There is a preventative in cleansing out as often as practical artificial ponds and, in the event of not being able to clean them out, pouring in a few bags of unslaked lime will act as a prevents tive," All such preventive means should be carefully observed, and it is 1 exceedingly important that householders should take pains to keep drinking water and all utensils used in cooking, or for the table, out of the reach of dogs or cats, for to the want of such care is to be attributed many cases of supposed mysterious and unaccountable disease and resultant death, which a post mortem examination would prove to have resulted from the presence of hydatids in all probability contracted through carelessness in these particulars.