Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-02-26
"SCREW WORMS"
Insect Pests Which Sometimes
Attack Human Beings.
The Terrible Experience of a
Lady in Missouri.

The Terrible Experience OF a
Lady in Missouri.
SO long as those Objectionable
creatures known as "scrcw worms,
which are the larvm of a species of
fly, confine their attacks 10 domestic
animals, the damage they do may be
endured with a moderate degree Of
patience. Occasionally, however,
they assail human beings. with the
most painful and sometimes fatal re-
suits. The winged insect finds per-
'on sleeping cut of doors and lays its
eggs in the mouth or nostrils. Subse-
queutly the worms are hatched out
and proceed to feed upon the tissues.
Such a case is referred to in the last
number of "Insect Life" published
by the Department of Agriculture.
The victim was o lady who spent
last summer on farm ten miles from
St. Louis. Opposite the farm was a
sheep pasture. Sheep, 1t will be re-
membered, are the animals most frc-
quently attacked by screw worms.
One day Mrs. A., as she may be called,
was seized with violent and continu-
Gus sneeNng fits, and in 4S hours she
was in great distress. with face, nose
and throat much swollen. The doc
tor, however, was unable TO distin-
guish the symptoms from those of
severe influenza.
On the morning of the fourth day
Mrs. AS husband appeared carly at
the doctors Office and said with hor-
ror that his wife had in sneeZing eX-
PEELED from her nose two or three
white worms. A distinguished sur
geon was summoned for consultation,
aud by the aid of mirrors the interior
cavities behind the nose aud mouth
were examined. BY these means il
was discovered that small white larve
were attached by their mouth hooks
TO the mucous membrane all over the
inside passages. Forceps and tweezers
were brought into reqnisition, and
with much difficulty twenty-five or
thirty of the worms were extracted.
Considerable force hal TO be used, be-
cause chloroform and carbonized fluid
had no eiIect 70 make thcm loosen their
hold. Indeed, upon being disturbed,
they would contract SO as 10 almost
bury themselves in tho inhamed and
bleeding tissues. The sufferings of
the patient from the parasites and the
surgical operations can better be inn
agincd than described.
Three times day for as many days
the physicians worked at the removal
of the larv@, until they had more
than 200 in alcohol. Some of these
were taken from behind the tonsils,
entirely out of sight, by means of
peculiarly curved forceps directed
with the most accurate knowledge of
the anatomy of the parts. In the
meantime suicidal mania had devcl-
oped and the sufferer entreated her
attendant to be allowed TO end her
life. 1t seems to be fact that all
persons afflicted with screw worms
require careful watching to prevent
suicide, which, under the circum-
stances, is not at all surprising.
On the eight day no more worms
could be discovered and the pa lent
seemed greatly relieved. The in1am-
nation rapidly subsided, and in the
course of few weeks recovery was
complete. In the ordinary course of
nature these worms fall to the ground
as soon as they are full grown 90 into
the chrysallis condition and come out
later in the shape of winged flies,
which lose no time after mating in
laying their egg, in some such suitable
place for their incubation as the nos
trlls of a sheep. AS TO the origin O..
the attack described, Mrs. A. hal an
indisiinct recollection of having been
disturbed VIII lo taking a daytime nap
in hammock, but could not recall
the fact that any insect attempted to
enter her nose. People sometimes die
from this complaint, while othcrs re-
cover with great mutilation of the
parts attacked. The moral of the
story is that it is not prudent to sleep
ont of doors during the day with the
face uncovered Washington Star.