1 82 RESEARCHES IN HELMINTHOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY. 



ination by Prof. William Pepper. They were expelled, by the use 

 of santonin, from a child of three years. The specimens, consisting 

 of a dozen fragments, appear to be portions of three worms, which 

 reached a length of from twelve to fifteen inches or more. Unfor- 

 tunately the head is lost. The joints or proglottides are more than 

 several times the breadth of the length. In a specimen of thirteen 

 inches, comprising nearly a complete worm, the joints of the ante- 

 rior attenuated extremity are about one-fifth of a millimeter long 

 by nearly two-thirds of a millimeter wide, while the posterior joints 

 are half a millimeter long and two and a quarter millimeters wide. 

 Ripe joints at the posterior part of the body are pale brown, the 

 color being due to the eggs. These occupy a simple uterus defined 

 by the walls of the joints, and not divided into pouches diverging 

 laterally from the main stem as is usual in most taeniie. A singular 

 feature of the worm is the interruption of the series of ripe joints, 

 here and there, by one or more completely sterile ones. The gener- 

 ative apertures open in the usual way on the lateral margin of one 

 side. The mature eggs are spherical, measure 0.072 mm. diameter, 

 and contain, fully developed, six hooked embr\^os. 



While differing greatly from the ordinary tapeworms infesting 

 man, they approximate nearly the description of Tcenia Jlavopunc- 

 tata, and probably pertain to this species. This has been but once 

 previously observed, and was described in 1858 by Dr. Weinland 

 (An Essay on Tapeworms of Man) from specimens in the Museum 

 of the Medical Improvement Society of Boston. These were also 

 discharged by a child. The worm was estimated to be from eight 

 to twelve inches. The joints were marked by a yellow spot, from 

 which the species was named. The eggs measured from 0.054 to 

 0.06 mm. 



Our specimens indicate a worm almost the same size as the 7". 

 flavopiindata, but the joints are shorter and wider, and exhibit no 

 yellow spot, and the eggs are larger. In other characters the worms 

 sufficiently accord to render it probable that they may pertain to 

 the same species. It is probable that the worm is more common 

 than would be supposed from the instances of its observation, and 

 has perhaps escaped notice from its small size and from the general 

 ignorance of the distinction, not only of this, but of the ordinary 

 species of tapeworms. 



A more complete account of the subject of this communication 

 will shortly appear in the American Journal of Medical Sciences. 



