The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-10-31
From the Charleston News.
A Worse Afflicti0n than Jobs.

A short time ago sailor went to the
city hospital from the British bark Geor
giana, who was supposed to be suffering
from sore leg. The man had been all
ing for near three months, but none of
his shipmates supposed that there was
anything serious the matter with him
According, when, few days before his
| removal to 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 left in
port, the ship being prepared to sail in a
few days. When removed to the hospi.
tai, the mans right leg was very much
swollen, aud manifested all the symptoms
of erysipelas, for which malady his affec
ton was at first mistaken. At the end
of few days, however, an abscess formed
upon the innerside Of the ankle, from
which after it had burst protruded about
three inches of a white, mem braneous
looking substance, about an eighth of an
inch in diameter.
This singular manifestation induced a
careful examination of the leg, which de-
veloped the fact that the man was afiict-
ed with the dracunculous, or Guinea
worm. This is horrible parasite, found
only along the shores of the Indian ocean
Red sea and certain portions of the Medi.
terranean. 1t infests damp aud muddy
soil and impure water, and generally at
tacks the feet and legs, but sometimes
other portions of the body. At the time
that it forsakes its native element for the
more luxurious habitation of flesh and
blood, is scarcely larger than common
flea but having once buried itself be-
meath the skin, it grows with alarming
rapidity, and will attain size varying
from six inches to six feet in length, by
one twelfth to one eighth of an inch in
diameter.
1t lies dormant until it reaches the age
Of maturity, after which it commences a
series of wandering and meandering about
the muscles aud bones, which cause in
tense pain to the unsuspecting victim
1t always travels downward, and with
such rapidity that it will sometimes ira
vel the whole length of the human frame
in twenty. four hours 1t will sometimes
cope to the surface and lie under the skin
like loug, white cord, but should the sur
geon attempt to extract it with the knife
without first securing it with the nipper,
it will elude his grasp aud scamper away
with the agility Of an eel. If portion
of the worm is removed, the remainin.
portion will not die, hut continue as gay
and lively as ever.
ho fret Of tho n
are disagreeabe itching and irritation
of the infected parts. After it begins to
move about its paths are followed by ex-
terual assesses, and when the paths lie
along the stomach, internal assesses also.
1t always ultimately endeavors to leave
the system by working its way through
the skin, generally near the ankle but
this is only after it has left from ten to
fifteen young behind The usual number
of worms that are found in one person
varies from one to fifty. There is one
case on record, however, of a man dying
from the effects Of the Guinea worm whose
body and skin were nothing but net
work Of these horrible creatures.
Death rarely results from the ravages
of this worm, aud when it does it is gen.
orally the result of the inflammation and
other effects of worms wanderings The
Guinea worm does not con6ue its ravages
to man, but will attack dogs and horses.
The sailor in question made voyage to
the eastern coast of Africa, about six
months ago, and while there received the
PARISHES into his system. One of these
worms has already been extracted from
his right leg, but another made its ap-
peorance in the left. He is doing as
well as can be expected under the cir
cumstances. This is probably the first
case of the kind ever known in Charles
ton.