Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-10-24

liz TN Il the possible exception sNRE
T.. AA...J of malaria The trou- SS3E
BILE is brought about by NMN
the presence in large numbers of a sIXMNi
certain round worm, ancylostoma duo ESSN
denale in the human almentary canal N@&
According to Castellani and Chalmers, MN
the disease is believed to have been X#A
known to the ancient Egyptians un- NY
der the term "heltp," which is men M
toned in the Ebers papyrus, written ~
some one thousand five hundred
fifty years b. c. In the papyrus the
disease was called AAA, and certain
remedies were suggested. Another an
cient reference occurs In the Sanscrt
Harita Samhita, where 1t is recorded / 1s9, ~
that the trouble due to swallowing bn1oFsva
clay. But whatever the ancents knew
about the ancylostoma soon disappeared from the
stock of common knowledge and 1t was only in
1888 that Dubini rediscovered the worm which is
responsible for such widespread distress. Some
years later Griesinger associated the presence Of
the worm with profound anaemia in Egypt Later
on 1t was discovered to be the cause of tropical
anaemia in Brazil. But 1t was not till the boring
of the St Gothard tunnel in the early eighties that
the disease attracted general attention among the
medical men Of Europe. The Italian excavators
suffered much from this parasite that increas-
ing interest was taken In it, and now for the first
tine in modern medical history, 1t was recognized
causing dangerous and not infrequenty ia
tai disease.
Our knowledge of the geographical distribution
OF the worm has within the last rs years increased
amazingly, and 1t has at the present time been
found in many countries that one may almost
state that ancylostoma allied genus is gen.
orally endemic CT one may apply this word to a
worm all the globe between the parallels
81 degrees 81 minutes north and 80 degrees south
wherever the character and the moist condition OF
the soil favors it's presence. In Egypt it is found
in nearly all the natives In parts of India rs per
grfa r4na H.
mon in Ceylon the Straits Settlements, Java,
China. Japan, the Philippines the farmer parts Of
South America and the West Indies, and in the
warmer parts OF Europe and North America. In
1902 ancylostoma discovered in the tin mines
OF Cornwall. England probably introduced by the
return of miners from the Trapsyaal or other sub
tropical DISTRICTS and II has caused infinite harm
IN the coal mines Of central Europe especially In
Westphalia. Once established In its laryal state
in the heat and the moisture OF a mine IL ID very
difficult TO eradicate.
AS is usual with parasitic worms, the male Is
comparatively Insignificant In number and size
compared with the female. There seem to be
about three times many of the latter as OF the
former and whereas the male measures from six
TO eleven millimeters In length the female meas
ures from seven to fifteen millimeters. Like all
animals that live in the dark these little creatures
without pigment and are grayish white but
sometimes they are stained red with the blood
they absorb from their host. Ancylostoma cannot
shut It's mouth; 1t Is perpetuay open Inside 1t
Is provided with certain strongly recurved hooks.
Into this mouth and indeed quite a long way in.
to the guilet is dragged portion OF the soft mu-
cous membrane lining Of the amentary canal OF
the host, and IL is on the cells covering this that
the worm lives. Occasionally a blood-vessel Is
ruptured, and then plnkish tinge is given to the
parasitic worm; but according to Looss the blood
corpuseles are not digested 1t is believed that
from time rs time the worm shifts it's position
and that the abandoned bite continues TO bleed
and certainly there some large glands opening
INTO the mouth OF the worm like those that exist
IN the pharynx OF the leeeh which may very well
secrete some ant-coaguatng secretion
female ancylostoma produces a never-ending
stream Of eggs oval, transparent delieate-looking
structures which do not develop very far until
they have passed away from the body of their
host Should, however. they reach a warm. moist
spot in mine or tunnel or on the ground. the de
Veiopment Is so rapid that In one or two DAYS n
young larya is Matched out. very hungry and very
vigorous. deyouring whatever organic matter II
can md, 20 that within week IL trebles its sIze
out even taen IL is very minute BY the end Of fts
arst seven days OF free existence the embryo has
twice cast it's skin and after It's second nnouit Il
nnaergoes "rest-cure." passing stage compar
able with the cbrysals in insects In THE conai
ton y viii live for weeks aud months movino /,
al al, but languidly IN mud or damn earth
Jhe question NOW arises Hov 40 ,basa -.
hsla tnsir way Into the ellmeutsry canal :. -
IE1 tsw years ago Il was alvavs ,h,,,,.h, -.
rs tf@Dsterence was direct ei,ber -
pFFhlts lhisesEd water or nv ,,a.,,. : 49,, s -
fe1rsd instincts which the worn s.s y tns per-