Year: 1872




A New HoRRoR-A FERoc1oUs PARA
SITE TAKEN FROM A MANS LEG.-A short
time ago sailor was sent to the city hospital
from the British bark, Georgiana, who was
supposed to be suffering from a sore leg. The
man had been ailing for near three months,
but none of his shipmates supposed that there
was anything serious the matter with him.
Accordingly, when, few days before his re.
moval to the hospital, be declared himself
unable to walk about, the captain Of the ship
supposed that he was endeavoring to make an
excuse for gc. : away from the vessel, that
he might be left in port, the ship being pre-,
pared to sail in few days. When removed
to the hospital, the mans right leg was very
much swollen, and manifested all the symp-
toms of erysipelas, for which malady his at
fection was at first mistaken. At the end Of
few days. however, an abscess formed upon
the inner side of the ankle from which, after
it had burst, protruded about three inches Of
white mem demonstrating substance, about
an eighth of an inch in diameter. This sin
gular manifestation induced careful exami.
nation of the leg, which developed the fact
that the man was afflicted with the dracunc,l-
lus, or Guinea worm. This is a horrible par
asite, found only along the shores of the In:
dian Ocean, Red Sea, and certain portions OF
the Mediterranean. 1t infests damp and
muddy soils and impure water, and generally
attacks the feet and legs, but sometimes other
portions of the body. At the time that it for
sakes its native element for the more luxurious
habitation of flesh and blood, it is scarcely
larger than common flea; but, having once
buried itself beneath the skin, it grows with
alarming rapidity, and will attain size va
rying from six inches to six feet in length, by
one-twelfth to one-eight Of an inch in diane
ter. It lies dormant until it reaches the age
of maturity, after which it commences Sc
ries of wanderings and meanderings about the
muscles and bones, which causes intense pain
to the unsuspecting victim. 1t always travels
downward, and with such rapidity that it will
sometimes travel the whole length of the hu.
man frame in twenty-four hours. 1t will
sometimes come to the surface and lie under
the skin like long white cord; but should
the surgeon attempt to extract it with the
knife, without first securing it with nipper,
it will elude his grasp and scamper away with
the agility of an eel. If portion Of the
worm is removed, the remaining portion will
not die, but continues as gay and lively as
ever. The first symptoms of the Guinea
worm are disagreeable itching and irritation
of the infected parts After it beginsto move
about, its paths are followed by external ab-
scesses, and when the paths lie along the
stomach, internal Assesses also. 1t always
ultimately endeavors to leave the system by
working its way through the skin, generally
near the ankle, but this is only after it has
left from ten to fifteen young behind. The
usual number of worms that are found in one
person varies from one to fifty. There is one
case on record, however, Of aman dying from
the effects of the Guinea worm, whose body
and skin were nothing but network Of these
horrid creatures. Death rarely results from
the ravages of this worm, and when it does,
it is generally the result of some diseases pro-
duced by the Inflammation and other effects
of the worms wanderings. The Guinea worm
does not con6ne its ravages to man, but will
also attack dogs and horses. The sailor in
question made voyage to the Eastern coast
Of Africa, about six months ago, and while
there received the parasites into his system.
One of these worms has already been extract
ed from his right leg, but another has made
its appearance in the left. He is doing as
we'll as can be expected under the circum-
stances. This is probably the first case OF the
kind ever known in Charleston Charleston
Neaus