The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-02-02
A CASE OF ENTOZOD.
The Terrible Disease Contracted
by a Sailor In India
A Dreadful Aslatlr Mslady Makes It's Ab
pearanee In New York-Tbe AWFUL
Work OF Extracting Greedy
Parasitic Worms.

In all the medical aud surgical experience
Of the great hospitals of New York there
has never been such a ease Of worms known
as that which the good ship Ropes recently
brought 10 this city. writes a New York
correspondent Of the Cincinnati inquirer
II was a ease that gave the physicians here
. chance TO study q maladv that Is rarely
met with outside the tropical countries.
The patient. James Paulsen. is still in the
Bellevue Hospital. He is one Of the hardy
seamen OF the North Of Norway, 4 country
whose sons are accustomed 20 think Of the
ocean AZ calmly az the tTalesmen contem-
plates his store Paulsen has followed the
sea for a livelihood since childhood. His last
trip took him 20 India. He wishes now that
be had never seen that country Of strange
gods, swarthy people and queer animals.
When his ship made landing at a port In
India 10 take in a cargo. the sailors. in &C
cordance with the usual custom, were al
lowed TO g on shore for a few hours 70 get
q change Of scene and have q little fun
Sailors fun, under such circumstances,g gen
orally runs in a low channel, and il as mixed
a. the mixed drinks which they generally
imbibe Paulsen and his comrades were
presently engaged in giving the quiet town q
reddish hue. They got drunk They en-
emily the constabularg Of the place
bounced down upon them. and car
ried them on 10 Jail, after
sharp struggle. The charge against them
was theft. The complainant was q shop
keeper in whose store they had been play
ing pranks, and who had missed some Of his
wares. He went among the gang and iden-
titled Paulsen ~ the man Il was not Paul
sen at all. but u took several days man
euvering "a get him out Of jail without CIV
ing up the real culprit. Meanwhile, he was
thrust into a nlthy underground dungeon,
where he contracted the disease which
afterward gave him 81 much trouble and
pain, and for atiine puzzled the doctors
The Ropes had cargo for England aud
thence turned her prov toward America
Il was shortly after leaving England that
Paulsen's malady began 20 appear Inc
first point 90 attack was in the heal In
several places un the scalp under the hair
humps appeared about the size Of q pea
There was nothing about them % make
an old salt, who had been used 10 every
kind Of worry. anxious or complaining. Il
was only when the small humps presented
themselves on his uccl, and were notit-ed BY
one Of the ship officers that he had any
thing 10 say about them The medicine
book was pulled out and hunted through
for information, with the usual result OF
giving INSTRUMENTATION. Il was deciled that
his blood was bad and had given rise 70
the little Jumps. Paulsen was therefore
physicked and dieted down 10 q shadow
But the smaller he grew in physique the |
more numerous became the bumps and the |
larger they grew and the further they |
spread over his body
Before the vessel arrived In New York |
many Of the swellings had grown 10 the /
sire Of large plum and had become the |
seat Of an active inflammation. The iesh BE- |
came hot near the swellIngs, which assumed |
q bright red hue and were extremely pain |
full The distribution " the swellings over ]
the BODY was 81 such a nafuTe that Paulsen /
was unable 70 rest a. ease except when /
standing The pain was 20 intense and /
there were 80 many painful humps that /
Paulsen At length made a dash one day for /
the side Of the shin.with the intention Of /
finding. beneath the heaving bosom Of the /
sea, the peace he could not find in life. |
After his attempt 81 suicide be was closely /
watched until the ship made port here, |
when be was taken 70 Bellevue Hospital
The house surgeon examined Paulsen and /
came 70 the conclusion that he was afflicted |
more 50. The treatment ordered was in &c. /
cordance with this idea There is no doubt /
that Paulsen under that regimen would /
soon have been sent 10 the dead-house. Il /
happened that one Of the consulting sur
geons saw the patient. He had spent .
number Of years IN India When he heard /
that Paulsen had come from there. and that /
be had been in jail in that bot climate. be /
knew e once that Il was no ordinary Csc
Of boils, and on examination pronounced il |
. splendid case Of entozna This Il . dis /
ease caused b. worm. In Paulsen's case /
closer inspection showed the presence Of /
the dracunCulus or Guinea worm. This i
worm when small bores Us way into the i
skin, usually where the body comes in con-
tact with the filth IN which the worm Il qsn-
Grated u lodges IN the tissues and then i
grows. IL reaches the length Of several /
feet and the thickness Of darninz-needle Il
The doctor, on the same day that be found /
out what was the natter, began the VOrkof Il
extermination. Several Of the swellinRs i
bad broken together and formed Assesses.
The only cure Is 70 get out each worm en-
tire Incisions were made IN the lesh fol-
lowing the line Of the whip-oord elevations.
The had Of the worm being found. the par
aaiie was wound around . probe that had i
been dipped IN glue. The probe handle
vas then slowly turned and the worm 1
drawn from ifs bed A magnifying Rlass
vas used 70 facilitate the removal Of tbs i
thread-hke teTminations The Patient ~
fused % take ether, and stood the horrible
torture without q complaint o. trsmOr. 1
Such nerve as be displayed l. rarely seen.
fhs surgeon worked e. speedily e. possIble.
and amer an hours work twenty worms had
been removed from the larger protuber-
anoes. The patient began % show TIE weak
ening effect Of the great nervous strain,
and operations were discontinued for Tie
time being. He was allowed % rest for i
three days, when the surgeon again went
% work This time the task vas easier, aa
he wurrns were smaller The knife va
lsed sparingly, and with The probe worms
we're taken away Until the number reaehed
thirty-tlve, and maze total Of foFty-nvU IN
he two operations. Several DAYS later there
was smother operation performed IN Ike
manner. These operations were kept up
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