Life-History of the Fowl Tapeworm, Davainea proglottina

Abstract

IN 1888–92, Grassi and Rovelli¹ fed onchospheres of Davainea proglottina to the slugs Limax cinereus, Agriolimax agrestis and Limax flavus and were able in less than twenty days to obtain cysticercoids which when fed to hens developed into D. proglottina. In spite of these experiments, the authors did not exclude the possibility of direct infection, since they considered that these intermediate hosts were not present in sufficient numbers to account for the very heavy infection of the poultry in Rovellasca where they worked. Railliet and Lucet² attempted to establish direct infection and failed, but they considered that other slugs, in addition to those used by Grassi and Rovelli, could serve as intermediate hosts.