Parasites: A Treatise on the Entozoa of Man and Animals: Including Some Account of the EctozoaCobbold, T. Spencer (Thomas Spencer)
Science
Parasites: A Treatise on the Entozoa of Man and Animals: Including Some Account of the Ectozoa
Cobbold, T. Spencer (Thomas Spencer)
Helminths; Parasites
As happens in all the kindred helminthiases that are known to be
dependent upon the presence of small worms, large numbers of Anguillules
are necessary to produce injurious effects upon the bearer. Thus, the
evacuations of the Cochin-China patients were found to contain such
multitudes of the worms that their numbers could only be adequately
estimated at so many hundreds of thousands passed in twenty-four hours.
Of course they varied in quantity, not only in different patients, but
in the same bearer, from day to day. They are to be found in every stage
of growth and development, from that of the intra-ovular embryo and
free embryonic state up to sexual maturity. They occupy all parts of
the intestinal canal, from the stomach downwards, being also found in
the pancreatic and biliary ducts, and likewise within the gall-bladder.
According to Bavay, five days suffice under favorable circumstances for
the complete maturation of the worm. This readily accounts for their
occasional extreme abundance.
I am indebted to the courtesy of Dr le Roy de Méricourt for the original
memoirs from which these brief abstracts are taken.
_Leptodera intestinalis_, Bavay.--This is a larger species, now and then
found associated with the above, and, according to Bavay, “in infinitely
less abundance.” This species was also discovered by Dr Normand, and
has been carefully described by Bavay. Possibly the worm may afford us
another curious instance of dimorphism. Be that as it may, it must be
provisionally regarded as a distinct form. As its occurrence is by no
means invariable, its rôle in relation to the Cochin-China diarrhœa
must, as Davaine has likewise remarked, be regarded as of secondary
importance. It is readily distinguished from _A. stercoralis_ both
in the adult and larval conditions. The full grown worm, although
comparatively narrow, is more than twice as long as its congener;
moreover, the larvæ, in place of possessing finely-pointed tails, have
blunt or truncated caudal extremities. Converting M. Bavay’s millimetric
measurements into fractions of the English inch, the average length of
the mature worms will be about 1/11″, whilst their breadth does not
exceed 1/757″ in diameter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account