Year: 1872

From the Charleston News


A short time ago q sailor was sent to


the City Hospital from the British bark


GeOrgiana, who was supposed to be suf-


feTing 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, a few


days before his removal to the hospital,


he declared himself unable to walk
about, the captain of the ship supposed
that he was endeavoring to make an
excuse for getting away from the vessel,
that he might be left in port, the ship
being prepared to sail in a few days.
When removed to the hospital, the
mans right leg was very much swollen,
and manifested all the symptoms of
erysipelas, for which malady his affec-
ton was at first mistaken. At the end
of few days, however, an abscess
formed upon the inner side of the an
kle, from which, after it had burst, pro-
truded about three inches of a white,
membranOus-lOOking substance, about
an eighth Of an inch in di-
ameter. This singular manifes-
tatiOn induced careful exami-
nation Of the leg, which developed the
fact that the man was afflicted with the
drGciUcttllas, or Guinea worm. This is
a horrible parasite, found only along the
shores Of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea
and certain portions Of the Mediterra-
mean. II 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 f0rsakes its native element for the
nfre luxurious habitation of flesh and
blood, it is scarcely larger than a COM
mon flea; but, having once buried itself
beneath the skin, it grows with alarm
ing rapidity, and viii attain 3 size vary
ing from six inches to six feet in length,
by One-twelfth to one-eighth of an inch
in diameter. 1t lies dormant until it
reaches the age Of maturity, after which
il commences 4 series of wauderings and
meanderings about the muscles and
bones, which cause intense pain
to the unsuspecting victim. Ii al
ways travels downward, and with such
rapidity that it will sometimes travel
the whole length of the human frame in
twenty-fOur hours. 1t will sometimes
come to the surface and lie under tbe
skin like a long white cord, but shOuid-
the surgeon attempt to extract it with
the kife without first securing it with a
nipper, it will elude his grasp and scam
per away with the agility Of an eel. If
a portion of the worm is removed, the
remaining portion will not die, but con-
tinues as gay and lively as ever. The
first symptoms Of the Guinea worm are
a disagreeable itching and irritation of
the infected parts. After it begins to
move about its paths are followed by eX-
ternal assesses, and when the paths
lie along the stomach, internal Assesses
also. II 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 va
ries from one to fifty. There is one case
on record, however, of a man dying
from the effects of the Guinea worm,
whose body and skin were nothing but
a network Of these horrible creatures.
Death rarely results from the ravages Of
this worm, and when ii does it is gener-
ally the result of some disease produced
by the Inflammation and other effects of
the worms wanderings. The Guinea
worm does not confne itsr avages to
man, but will also attack dogs and
horses. The sailor in question made a
voyage 10 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
extracted from his right leg, but another
has made its appearance in the left. He
is doing rs well as can be expected un- |
der the circumstances. This is probably I
the first case Of the kind ever known int
Charleston.