Toxicological and pharmacological studies on coelomic fluid and body constituents of round-worms

The author has studied the toxicity of the coelomic fluid the body-constituents of round-worms against mice as well as their action of the ocular mucous membrane of rabbits and guinea pigs, and arrived at the following observations in summary. 1) An intravenous injection of 1.0 cc/10 g kills likely no mouse, but 0.3-0.5 cc/10g of body extract similarly administered frequently kills it. In both cases, the toxic symptoms are of the same nature, shock being always conspicuously observable. If the toxinosis is protracted over long hours, congestion and hemorrhage become manifest in internal organs and tissues. In mice, individual difference is not noticeable. 2) Applied to the eyes of rabbits, both the coelomic fluid and the body extract in water cause symptoms of acute conjunctivitis in the mucous membrane, accompanying edema, tumescence, abundant lacrimation and sebum secretion. Body extract in alcohol, ether, chloroform and acetone cause only slight symptoms chiefly of congestion in the mucous membrane, copious lacrimation and sebum secretion, while edema and swelling are not noticeable. In the eyes of rabbits and guinea pigs, similar results have been observed. Such toxic reactions to the eyes seem to be due to the direct action of the round-worm poison against the blood vessel walls in the ocular mucous membrane.