Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1875 — The Tape-Worm. [ARTICLE]

The Tape-Worm.

Eight different species 'of tape-worm (Ttxnnia) occur in the human body, but the T. solium is occasions most trouble to men. It is introduced into the system by means of measly pork that is eaten raw or underdime. It exists in the embryonic state in the pork; but as soon as it finds its way into our own alimentary canal the embryo, or Cysticercus as it/is then called, attaches itself to the walls of the intestine and develops into the perfect worm. In this condition the parasite consists of a head, a narrow neck and an indefinite series of joints or segments extending to the length of from ten to twenty-five feet, and at the widest part having a bread'h of one-eighth of an inch. The head is ; globular and not longer than a pin-head. Under the microscope the head is seen to be furnished with four circular sucking discs, by which it holds fast to the wall of >ije intestine; snd also with a conical proboscis armed with two rows ot hooks, each row containing from twenty-four to twenty eight hooks. The’ worm increases’its r bbon-like length by forming new segments at the end next the neck. These segments in i crease in an ordinary individual from ■ 800 to 1,000. At about joint i the sexually-mature segmentfcommence I and each one of these e»eqtually bei comes crowded with eggs and capable ot lan independent existence. As the con** ■ tents of the segments mature the joints sever, setting the segments free, and they are then expelled from the body at the rate of from six to eight a day. ’ In this way the tape-worm is constantlv forming new segments and throwing ofl old ones, so that the whole number it produces cannot be determined. It Is not known how long the parasite may exist in an intestinal canal; but it is sup-

posed that ultimately it spontaneously detaches its hold op the intestine and its whole length is expelled in the manner as when it is killed by the administration of a vermifuge. The tape worm has no mouth by which to take in food, but obtains its nutriment from the surrounding medium by endosmose. In other words, nourishing juices pass through the skin over its entire surface, in the same manner as liquids are absorbed by the microscopic roots of plants. As the tape-worm has □o mouth, so it has no alimentary canal. Each joint takes in nourishment and continues its existence quite independent of all the rest. When it separates from the parent system it possesses life and a slight power of motion, creeping over moist ground, plants, etc. After a time the skin of the separated segment decays and bursts, liberating the eggs it inclosed. If now, by chance, these eggs are taken into the stomach of a pig—and they often are, on grass or with water, etc.—immediately upon reaching the digestive canal the embryos escape from the shell, and, boring their way through the living tissues of the animal, lodge themselves in the fatty parts of the flesh, where they await an opportunity for further transformation. The animal thus infested becomes measled, its flesh constituting what is known as measly pork. It is dangerous even to handle this pork, as the embryos may adhere to the hands and be transferred to the mouth. The vitality of the measles is destroyed by the temperature of boiling water. The salt used in curing hams and pork is also destructive to them. Sausages into which measly pork has entered are rendered safe by thorough cooking. Thus, if persons can relish this infected meat, or if they are so unfortunate as to have it put by accident on their tables, it is some comfort to know that, when thoroughly cooked, the danger of swallowing living parasites incased in it is comparatively slight. There are instances on record where the eggs of the tape-worm have gained entrance into the human body. In such cases the shell of the egg is dissolved by the gastric juice and the embryos perforate the stofiach and pass through all intervening tissues until they find a suitable lodging place in the serous cavities, in the flesh or in such organs as the liver oithe brain. The creatures are so minute that they are able to accomplish their migrations in the body without oc casioning serious harm. When first liberated from the shell the embryo has the appearance of a reside, or little bladderlike body, furnished with six microscopic hooks. When it has established itself in a satisfactory locality it grows rapidly, attaining at maturity the size of a pea, or ever, of a kidney-bean. In this state it develops a head and neck, while the bag-like portion constitutes the caudal extremity. It does not seem to have the power of multiplying during this stage of its existence, ancLit must be transferred into the alimentary canal of a human being, or es some other animal, in order to pass into the adult form in which it is recognized as the tape-worm. In Dr. Cohbold’s work on the Entozoa a case is cited of a man inflicted with these mischievous parasites in the embryronic form. After his death no less than 2,000 of the cysticari were found in his body, and 111 of them had established themselves in the nervous centers. The adult tape-worm is generally solitary in the human body, hence its name, soL’uwi. Instances have been known, however, where two or three have been found together; and, very rarely, eveu thirty or forty have been expelled from a patient. Four of the species of tapeworm that occur in the human body have been found in the barbary ape. Various species are common in the dog, in the sheep, in rats and mice and in birds—particularly the water-fowl. They are also found occasionally in horses and cattle, and rarely in reptiles. Only the embryonic form appears to be known in swine.— Chicago Tribune.