The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-10-09
CAIRO BULLETIN.
A NEW HORROR.
APPEARANCE OF THE GUINEA
WORM IN THE BODY OF AN
OLD SAILOR-ONE OF THE
HORRORS OF THE IN
DIAN OCEAN.

From the Charleston Is. CT News.l
A short time ago . sailor was sent TO
10 the CITY hospital from the British bark
Georgian, who was supposed TO be suffer-
Ing from sore leg The man had been
aiing for near three months, but none Of
his shipmates supposed that there WAS
anything serious The matter with hun.
Accordingly, when few days before his
removal 10 the hospital, he declared him
| self unable TO walk about, the captain Of
the ship supposed that he was endeavor-
ing TO make an excuse for getting
away from the vessel, that he might
be lett ia port, the ship being
prepared to sail in few days.
When removed to tho hospital the mans
right leg was very much swollen, and
manifested all the symptoms Of erysipelas,
for which malady his affection was at
first mistaken. At the end of few days,
| however, nm abscess formed upon the in
ner side Of the ankle, from which, after il
had burst protruded about three inches Of
white, membran ous-looking substance,
about an eighth Of AN inch in diameter.
This singular manifestation induced
careful examination Of the leg, which de-
veloped the fact that the man was afflicted
with the dracuncutus, or Guinea worm.
~ DDIElDlt parasitic, Ouly
along the shores Of the indian ocean, Red
sea aud certain portions of the Mediterrs-
mean. II infests damp and muddy soils
and impure water, and generally attacks
the feet and legs, but sometimes other
portions Of the body AT the time that it
! Tot sskes its native element for the more
luxurious habitation of e-sh and blood, it
is scarcely larger than common flea;
but, havii K once buried Itself beneath the
skin, it grows with alarming rapidly, and
will attain n size varying from six inches
to Elk feet in length, by one-twelfth to one
eighth of an inch in diameter 1t lies
DE- rmant until it reaches the age of ma.
turity, after which it commences n series
of wanderlngs and meanderings about the
muscles ard bones, which cause intense
pain to the unsuspectlng victim. 1t al
ways travels downward and with such
rapidly that IL will sometimes travel the
whole length ef the human frame in
twenty-four hours. II will sometimes
come to tue surface and lie under the skin
like long white cord, hut should the
surgeon attempt to extract it with the
knife without first securing il with a
uipper, it will elude his grasp and scam
per away with the agility of IN eel. II
portion Of the worm is removed, the
remaining portion will not die, but con-
tinues rs gay and lively as ever. The
FIRST symptoms of the Guinea worm are
disagreeable itching and irritation of
the Infected parts. After it begins to
move about its paths are followed by ex-
ternal Assesses, and when the paths lie
along the stomach, internal Assesses also.
1t always ultimately endeavors to leave
the system by working it. way through
the skin, generally near the ankl but this
is only after il has left from ten to fifteen
young behind. The usual number Of
worms that are found in one person va
RTE, fiom one 10 fifty. There is one case
on record, however, of a man lying from the
effects Of the Guinea worm, whose body and
| skin were nothing but n net FORK Of these
| horrible creatures. Death rarely results
| from the ravsges of this worm. and when
it does it i. generally the result Of some
! disease produced by the Inflammation and
| other effects Of the worms wanderings.
| The Guinea worm does not contine It's
ravages 10 man, but viii also attack dogs
and horses. The sailor in question made
voyage to the eastern coast Of Africa
about six months ago, and while there re-
! ceived 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
we'll as can be expected under the circum-
/ stances. This is paobsbly the first case
/ Of the kind ever known in Charleston.