Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-10-18
AwoRsvaRzAAcs.oA1tAHaoa'S
THE WORN THAT pIETR xor-A TERocZoUs PARA
SITE TAKEN FROM MANS LEO.


THE WORK THAT prETR Xor-A TERocIors PARA
SITE TAKEN FROM MANS LEO.
From the Charleston News.
A short time agoa sailor went to the City Hospi-
tai from the British Bark GeOTgiana who was sup
posed to be suffering from sore leg. The man had
been aiIing for three months, but none OF his
shipmates supposed that there was anything ser-
GUS the matter with him. Accordingly when few
days before sremova to the hospital, he declared
himself unable to walk about, the captain Of the
ship supposed that he was entieavorng to make an
excuse tor getting away from the vessel that he
might b, left in port. the ship being prepar~ to
sail in few days. When removed to the hospital
the mans right leg was very much swollen and
manifested all the symptoms OF erysipeias for
which malady his affection was at trst mistaken.
At the end Of few days, however, an abscess
formed upon the inner side Of the ankle, from
which, after it had burst, protruded about three
inches of white, membranous-o looking substance
about an eighth of an inch in diameter.
This singular manifestation induced a careful
examination of the leg, which developed the fact
that the man was afflicted with the dracunculns, or
Guinea worm. This is u horrible parasite, found
only along the shores OF the Indian Ocean, Rcd
Sea, and certain portions OF the Mediterranean
1t lnfests damp and muddy soils ana impure water
and generally attacks the feet and legs, but some
times other portions OF the body AT the time that
1t forsakes its native element tor the more iuxur-
Gus habitation of flesh and blood, it IS scarcely
larger than q common flea but, having once
buried itself beneath the skin, growsw alarm
ing rapidty. and will attain size varying from SIX
inches to feet IN length by onc-tweith to one
eighth OF an inch III diameter. 1t lies dormant
until 1t reaches the stage OF maturity alter Wplch
it commences series OF wanderings ana 'neahuer-
ings about the muscles and bones, wlich cause III
tense pain to the unsuspccting victim IL Always
travels down wards, and with such rapdlty that 1t
will sometimes travel the whole length OF the hui
man frame i'll twenty-four hours. twill sometimes
come to the surface and lie under the skin like
long white cord but should the surgeon attempt
to extract it with the knife without first securing
it with a nipper it will elude his grasp ana scamper
away with the agility OF eel. 1t a portion OF
the worm is removed, the remaining portion Will
not die, but continues Us gay and lively as ever
Tho first symptoms of the Guinea worm are
disagreeable itching and irritation of the infected
parts After 1t begins to move about Hs paths are
followed by external assesses, and when the pains
lic along the stomach, internal ahscessea ALSO IL
always ultimately endca-ors to leave the ystem by
working its way through the skin, generally near
the ankle but this only after it has lett from ten
to fifteen Young behind. The usual number of
worms that found in one person varies from
one to fifty. There Is one case Oh record, however,
OF a man dying from The effects OF the 'ininea
worm whose body and SKIN were nothing but u net
work of these horrible creatures. Death rarely
results from the ravages OF this worm. ami when
it does is generay the result OF some disease pro-
duced by the inflammation and other effects or the
worms wanderlngs
The Guinea worm does not conine lis ravages
CONAN, but will also attack dogs and herses. Inc
sailor in question made voyage to the eastern
coast of Africa about SIX months ago. anu whlie
there received the parasites into his system. One
OF these worms has already been extracted from
his right leg, but another has made Its appearance
in the left. He Is doing as well can bo expected
under the circumstances. This Is probably the
tirst case OF the kind ever known IN Charleston