The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-04-03

The Tapc-Worm.
Eiobt different species "f tape worm lToc
,,j,G nccnr in the human body, but the T. So
Ji,,, IL that which occasions most trouble To
men II is introduced into the system by
means of mcasly pork that Is eaten raw or
|undcrlone 1t exists in the embryonic state
I'm the pork; but as soon rs IL mas us way
into o,r own almcntary canal, the embryo,
mr. Cu,tjreycuS as it is thcn called, attaches
/ itsclf to the walls of the intestine, and devci'
.ons into the perfect worm. In TINS condition
tbe paraslte consists OF head, narrow neck,
and an indefinite series Of joints, or segmcnts,
extending to the length Of from 10 to % feet,
and at the widest part having width OF 3
oc an inch The head is globular, and not
Ilonper than a pin-head. Under the micro
scoDe the head is seen to be furnished WIN
four circular suckingdiscs, by which 1t hoids
fast to the wall of the intestine; and also Win
a Conical proboscis, armed with TWO rows OF
hooks, each row containing from twentyiour
to twenty eight hooks.
The worm increases its riboon-ilke length
| by forming new sogmens at the end next inc
neck. These segments increase, IN an ora,
nary individual, from 800 to l,ooo. AT about
the 45Oth Joint the scXually nature segments
commence. and each one of these eventually
becomes crowded with eggs, and cadable OF
An independent existence. AS the contents oil
the scpments mature, the JOINTS sever, setting
the segments free, aad they are then expelled
from the body ut the rate OF from SIX to elght
a day. In this way the tape-worm is con
stantly forming new scgments and throwing
off old ones, so that the whole number II pro
duces cannot be determined. tbs net known
!, how long the parasite may exist In an lntes'
t final canal, but it is supposed that ultimately
il spontaneously detaches its hold on the IN
L.. "a, l,,1a lam @ aYnnllpI
) the manner as when II Is killed by inc au'
: minlstratIon of a vermtuge.
The tape.worm has no mouth by which 10
take ia food, but obtains its nutriment from
the surrounding medium by endosmose In
other words, nourishing juices pass through
the skin over its entire surface, in the same
manner as liquids are absorbed by the micro
scopic roots of plants. AS the tapeworm
has no mouth, so it has no alimentary canal
Each Joint takes in nourishment, ana con
tinues to exist quite independent OF all lhe
. rest When it separates from the parent sys-
ITEM, it possesses life and slight power OF
motion, creeping over moist ground s!h"il
plants, etc.
: After time the skin of the separated seq
ment DECAYS ard bursts, liberating the eggs
= il enclosed. If now, by chance, these eggs
are taken into the stomach OF pic-and they
often are, on grass or with water, etc.,-ln
medlately upon reaching the digestive canal,
e the cmbryOs escape from the shell, ana DOT
z ing their way through the living tissues OF
the animal, lodge themselves in the fatty part
Q of the flesh, where they await an opportunity
for further transformation. The amman
thus infested becomes measled, its flesh con
shutting what is known as measly pork. 1t
is dangerous even to handle this pork, as the
r. embryos may adhere to the hands and be
transferred to the mouth. The vitality of the
measles is destroyed by the temperature OF
boiling water. The salt used in curing hams
; and pork is also destructive to them. Sau'
, sages into which mcasy pork has entered are
rendered safe by thorough cooking Thus
ii persons can relish this infected meat, or IL
, they are so unfortunate as to have 1t put by
accident on their tables, it is some comfort to
know that when it is thoroughly cooked, the
danger of swallowing living parasites 'ncased
in it Is comparatively slight.
h There are instances on record of the eggs
of the tapc-worm having gained entrance into
' the human body. In such cases the shell OF
I the egg is dissolved by the gastric juice, and
the embryos perforate the stomach and pass
= through all intervening tissues until they find
4 a suitable lodging place in the serons cavities
in the flesh, or in such organs as the liver OF
the brain. The creatures are so minute tina
they are able to accomplish their migration>
+ in the body without occasionng serious harm
When first liberated from the shell, the en-
bryo has the appearance OF resiclc, or little
y bladderike body, furnished with six micro
scopic hooks. When it has established itsel
=. in satisfactory locality, it grows rapidly, at
=, tang at maturity the size of pea, or even o
a kidney bean. In this state il develops {
head and neck, while the bag-like portion
constitutes the caudal extremity. 1t does no
seem to have the power of multiplying
during this stage Of It's existence and /
must be transferred into the alimentaTv cana
of a human being, or Of some other animal
6 in order TO pass into the adult form, in which
e it is recognized as the tape-wOrm- In DIR
y iCobbold's work on the k'Rt0s0a, a case is cit
J. ed of a man afflicted with these mischicvou
y parasites in the embryonic form. After hi
:, death no less than 900 of the cysticerei wert
found in his body. and III OF them had cs
tablished themselves in the nervous centres
The adult tapc.wOrm is generally solitary
, in the hu.lan body; hence ITS name, sottdm
Instances have been known, however, where
two or three have been found together; and
t very rarely, even thirty or forty have beer
expelled from patient -Four of the specie
OF tape.worm that occur in the human body
: have been found in the Barbary ape. N@iou,
species are common in the dog, IN the SEeep
e IN Fats and mice, and in birds,-particuiarly
y the waterfowl, They are also found occasion
ally in horses and cattle, and rarely in yep
tiles. Only the embryonic forln appears &c
be known in swine.