New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-09
A NEW ILL.

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agenal, Headless Parasites
Deafh-Medical Men Baalcd.
CHICAGO, December 4.-The city of Elgin,
some forty miles west of Chicago, is greatly
excited by the appearance in that vicinity Of
q strange disease, the first known case of
which Terminated fatally on Friday last.
The facts are as follows: On Friday week
Mrs. G. w. Daniels, lady twenty-five
years Of age, who was married two years
ago and gave birth to'a child eleven months
since, was FRUSTRATED by what seemed at
first to be premonitary symptoms Of typhoid
fever. She had not been very well for some
ticipeted until Sunday, when she was COM
PEELED to take to her bed and place herself
under medical treatment. She complained
Of pains in her bones and soreness in her
1e6h. +
Nothing very unusual, however, was OBJ
served until Sunday morning, when the
milk from her breast attracted attention by
its dark color, it looking like the wastings
of m ink-bottle. Submitting the milk to
microscopic examination, it was found to
contain immense numbers of animalcul&,
different in size and shape from any human
parasite of which the attending physician
had ever seen or heard. They seemed to be
somewhat hexagonal in form, and longer
one way than the other. They did not seem
to have any head, but were evidently alive,
judging from the way in which they moved
shout. Their size was estimated by the
doctor g varying from the one hundred
thOusandth to five hundred thOusandth
Of an inch in diameter. The power Of the
microscope used varied from $50 to 800 di-
ameters, the former power being required
to mako the insect visible. They were not
trichina, e. the doctor was well acquainted
with that form of parasite, and this new
kind was muchN smaller and of an entirely
different shape.
, The authorities were searched, but none
Of them gave any clew by which they could
whom he consulted were compelled to be-
lieve that they had discovered anew species
of human parasite. In the meantime the
patient grew worse. She suffered terribly,
and complained Of soreness all over the
body. Nothing could be done to relieve
her. She could not bear bath, and could
hardly bear to be touched. She fingered in
agony until the afternoon at one O'clock,
when she died.
There was some reason at first to believe
that the parasites were the product of some
disease Of the breast, and were confined to
that locality. The doctor determined to
test tho matter, and, anticipating her death,
he was prepared to do so. Five minutes
after life was extinct, and while the body
was still warm, he made an incisiOn in the
calf of the leg, and, drawing the lancet,
examined the moisture which covered it.
He found three Of the parasites, only one of
which was alive. They were similar in all
respects to those found in the fluid taken
from the boast. He then dissected the
tbiatis arteries, muscle of the leg, in
GLIDING small portion Of the surrounding
Aesh.- The muscle presented a granular APP
pearance, as if covered with grains Of sand.
These grains the doctor presumes were
parasites.
The investigations were conducted by DIR.
Clark, assisted by DR.. Tyrrel, and neither
of them, nor any of the faculty who have
been asked their opinion, are able to ex-
plain the presence of what they term
parasitical phenomena. Further examina-
ton of the muscles will be made, and it is
expected that some light will be shed upon
what is now . mystery. The physicians
think that the parasites Occasi0ned death, if
they were not the immediate cause; for
while some of the symptoms of typhoid re-
manned to the end, they were aggravated by
the pains and soreness, and thrObbing es-
pecially, and death came sooner and more
suddenly than in cases of unmistakable
typhoid. The baby had been pining for
some time before his mother took sick, but
~ soon as he was weaned he recovered his
health, and il now more robust than ever.
He was not weaned until his mother was
confined to her bed. The doctor reports
that he examined the childs blood, which
was perfectly healthy.