The Animal Parasites of ManFantham, Harold Benjamin
Science
The Animal Parasites of Man
Fantham, Harold Benjamin
Medical parasitology
Important observations were soon made on the remaining groups of
helminthes. The discussion on the origin of parasites soon became
confined to the helminthes. Amongst the Nematoda, it had long been
known that encapsuled forms existed that had at first been regarded as
independent species, but very soon they were pronounced to be immature
forms, in consequence of their lack of sexual organs. Though Dujardin
and also v. Siebold regarded them as “strayed” animals, v. Stein (1853)
very promptly demonstrated that the progeny of the nematodes were
destined to travel by discovering a perforating organ in the larval
nematodes of the mealworm. This was first experimentally confirmed
(1860) by R. Leuckart, R. Virchow and Zenker, all of whom succeeded not
only in bringing to maturity the muscle Trichinæ (known since 1830) in
the intestine of the animals experimented upon, but were likewise able
to follow the migrations of the progeny. Of course, the encapsulating
brood remained in the same organism, and in this respect deviated
from the broods of other helminthes which escape into the outer world
and find their way into other animals, but the encapsuled nematodes
could no longer be regarded as the result of straying. Subsequently,
R. Leuckart worked out, more or less completely, the history of the
development of numerous nematodes, or pointed out the way in which
further investigations should be made. It has been found that in
nematodes far more frequently than in other helminthes, the typical
course of development is subject partly to curtailment and partly to
complications, which sometimes considerably increase the difficulties
of investigation and have hitherto prevented the attainment of a
definite conclusion, though the way to it is now clear.
In a similar manner the works of R. Leuckart have cleared up the
development of the _Acanthocephala_ and _Linguatulida_. Of course,
much still remains to be done. So far, we do not even know all the
helminthes of man and of the domestic animals in all their phases
of life, and still less is known of those of other animals. We are
indebted to the discoveries of the last fifty years for the knowledge
arrived at, though comparatively few names are connected with it. The
gross framework is revealed, but the gaps have only been filled up here
and there. However, we may trustfully leave the completion of the whole
to the future, without fear that any essential alterations will take
place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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