The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-12-18
Our 0liu.



Seventy years ago tenia (tapeworm)
was such q rare affection in France that
many physicians of large experience had
not met with il; or if they had, the cases
were extremely few. To-day tenia has
become so common that every practitioner
meets several or many cases yearly. To
what is due this sudden multiplication Of
tenia2 1t is twenty or twenty-five years
since Trousseau first, and many physicians
after him, and more recently Professor
Fuster, began to employ raw meat as a
remedial agent and ii was at first received
with distrust, but at present it has become
of general use. This coincidence alone
permits us to suppose that raw meat may
have something to do with the production
of tania, and most physicians have adop-
ted this etiology, which appears absolutely
certain. Beef frequently contains the
germ Of tenia, which germ, transported
into the stomach Of man, developes, TAX
ing the form Of tapeworm. In Abyssinia,
where the use Of raw meat is general every
one has tenia. At St. Petersburg, DIR.
Weisse observed, according to Cauvet, that
children fed upon raw meat were frequent
ly attacked by t@nia.
For my part, have observed great
number of cases of tenia during the past
few years, and in every case the individual
had made use of raw meat or was at the
time under that regimen. In convent
recently administered raw meat to four
nuns, three of whom were seized with
tania afterward.
an. Laborde { Tribune Medicale, page
742) does not believe that raw meat Is the
cause Of the increased production of the
worm. Each of the three varieties Of
tenia which are found in maD,' says he,
"argues its origin in an absolute manner.
The tania sodium results from the trans.
formation of the cysticercw celluloso of
pork bothriocephale tsnia is produced
by fish. The t8nid mediocdneHe Is the
only one that can be communicated BY
beef or mutton, and we all know how rare
the tenid mediocaneLle is" There is pre-.
cisely where the error lies. The tania
mediocdnelie is not rare on the contrary,
it is at least as frequent in our time as the
tsnia solium j.; and it is readily recognized
by simple magnifyiug glass. If NJ. La
borde were to examine the tenia that fol
lows the ingestion of raw meat, he would
see that the t8nid mediocaneile has become
very common in France from our new
therapeutical habits, while the frequency
Of the occurrence Of tania soii,m has not
increased, for pork meat slightly cooked
or raw remains exceptional. Thus we sec
that it is beef or mutton which furnishes
the frequent cases of tenia The germ of
tenia is also often impaired from cab.
bage, If not washed thoroughly, when eat
en- uneooked, as in slough.
Il is probable, if not certain, that
the addition of alcohol to raw meat, follow.
ing the method of Fuster, of Montpelier,
sufices to kill the germ. For that, the
alcohol employed must needs be strong
and the meat should be well mixed with
that liquid and allowed to macerate fol
some time. Thanks to heaven, the mo
ment tenia becomes frequent, the maieriio
naedica enriches itself with the knowledge
of new tenifuge, at least as efficaciou,
as any other, and superior, inasmuch as il
is absolutely innocuous, aud that its abun
dance and low price place it within th,
reach ofevery purse. Freely administered
pumpkin seeds constitute a sure and inof
fensive tenifuge, that seldom misses it,
effect. Some precautions are necessary ia
the employment Of this medicine.
LIST. The intestine is previously emp
tied by recommending the patient to alb
stain from eating on the eve of the day OF
which he proposes to take the remedy.
I'd. Early in the morning we administe
on an empty stomach 60 grammes q OF.
7 drachms) ofpumpkin seeds, deprived o.
the skins and ground with sugar, then
mixed with water, forming sort Of mill
Of almonds.
Sd. When the patient feels the worn
detaching itself, we administer 20 grammel
q o., 125 grains) of castor oil in cuI
of coffee, and the worm, in all probability
will come away during the day.
If the head of the worm is not found
the same treatment is repeated in eight OF
ten days, or the day following the frs
treatment, if desirable, To recapitulate
it is certain that raw meat as prescribet
to-day exposes the patient to tapeworm
The species observed in such cases is th,
tcnia mediocanelle. Mixing the meal
with alcohol, lessons the danger, The
t@nia, once developed, is easily removed
by pumpkin seeds properly administered.
q. Regnaut
Utilizing Cobwebs.