VERMINOUS DISEASES. ^n 



at first, very easy to extract the entire worm. Ob- 

 servers however agree that this is impossible, and 

 I have been several times convinced, when desirous 

 of doing it, that by pulling, even \\ith caution, the 

 portion evacuated, that the patient begins to feel 

 in his belly a twisting and drawing, such as would 

 throw him into convulsions, if the pulling were 

 continued, or the worm not cut oif. When, in place 

 of cutting off the worm, a thread of silk is tied round 

 the portion passed out of the anus, it retires into 

 the body about three metres eighteen centimetres ; 

 but soon after it is again detached from the intes - 

 tines, and passes out of the anus. 



So soon as the patient begins to find the worm 

 to be passing out, he should immediately repair to 

 the close- stoool and remain patiently seated till 

 the whole worm is voided. 



The taenia, rolled into a knot, is ordinarily ex- 

 pelled with the feces ; but it is discharaged with 

 difficulty, either because its head is buried in the 

 mucous membrane or valves of the intestines, or 

 because a mass of mucous matter impedes its ex- 

 it ; then the patient, tranquil on his pierced chair, 

 should drink, in repeated and frequent doses, an 

 infusion of chamomile flowers, or what is better, he 

 should take an ounce of sulpliate of magnesia to 

 quicken the peristaltic movement of the intestinal 

 tube. 



If after taking proper medicines, the worm is 

 not evacuated, or but partially, it is obvious that 

 suitable remedies must be repeated next day, or 



