The Animal Parasites of ManFantham, Harold Benjamin
Science
The Animal Parasites of Man
Fantham, Harold Benjamin
Medical parasitology
Though these results were definitely proved by numerous researches,
yet they have been repeatedly challenged, notably by J. Knoch (1862)
in Petrograd, who, on the basis of experiments, sought to confirm a
direct development without an intermediate host and ciliated stage,
at all events as regards _Dibothriocephalus latus_. However, the
repeated communications of this author met with but little favour from
competent persons, partly because the experiments were conducted very
carelessly, and partly because their repetition on dog and man (R.
Leuckart) had no results (1863). It was only in 1883 that Braun was
able to prove that the developmental cycle of _Dibothriocephalus latus_
is similar to that of other Cestodes. The results obtained in other
places by Parona, Grassi, Ijima and Zschokke render any discussion of
Küchenmeister’s conclusions unnecessary.[7] Long after Knoch, a French
author, P. Mégnin, also pleaded for the direct development of some
cestodes, and especially some tæniæ. He (1879) also sought to prove a
genetic connection between the hookless and armed tapeworms of mammals,
but the arguments he adduced, so far as they rest on observations,
can be easily refuted or attributed to misinterpretation. Only one of
these arguments is correct, namely, that the number of the species
of tæniæ with which we are acquainted is far larger than that of the
corresponding cystic forms; but this disparity alone cannot be taken as
a proof of direct development. It can only be said that our knowledge
in this respect is deficient. As a matter of fact, we have during
recent years become acquainted with a large number of cystic forms,
hitherto unknown, belonging to tæniæ which have long been familiar. It
must also be borne in mind that no man in his lifetime can complete
an examination for bladder-worms of the large number of insects, for
instance, which may destroy an entire generation of an insectivorous
species of bird within a small district.
[7] Refer to the collected literature under _Dibothriocephalus latus_,
and the reply to Küchenmeister by Braun (“Ueber den Zwischenwirt des
breit. Bandw.” Würzb.: Stuber, 1886).
Naturally it does not follow that direct development in the cestodes
is altogether lacking. The researches of Grassi (1889) have furnished
an example in _Hymenolepis_ (_Tænia_) _murina_, which shows that
development may sometimes take place without an intermediate host,
notwithstanding the retention of the cystic stage. It was found that
the oncospheres of this species, introduced into rats of a certain age,
after a time grow into tapeworms without leaving the intestine, but not
directly, for they bore into the intestinal wall, where they pass the
cystic stage, the cysts afterwards falling into the intestinal lumen,
where they develop into tapeworms. The recent experiments of Nicoll
(1911) show that the larval stages of _Hymenolepis murina_ also occur
in the rat-flea, _Ceratophyllus fasciatus_.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account