THE NEMATOID H.EMATOZOA OF MAN. 24-7 



When in March 1870^ I detected a microscopic nematoid in 

 urine of the latter character, I was under the impression that no 

 nematoid of any kind had previously been found in any urine 

 which could not be attributed to accidental circumstances. It 

 proved, however, that the late Dr. Otto Wucherer had already 

 found a parasite of a like character in 1868 in ''Hematuria 

 Braziliejisis," and had forwarded specimens to Prof. Leuckart for 

 identification." Dr. Jules Crevaux succeeded in confirming 

 Wucherer's discovery by finding (27th July, 1870) similar hel- 

 minths in the urine of a young Creole aifected with a like disease.^ 

 It is possible that the parasite discovered by AVucherer and de- 

 scribed by him in December, 1868,'* may prove to be identical with 

 the one found by myself in March, 1870; in such an event it will be 

 necessary to seek forsome clue, other than specific difi'erences in 

 the helminths, to account for the circumstance that the disease 

 with which they are associated presents different characters. 



In order to complete the sketch of the history of nematoid 

 urinary parasites of this period it will be necessary to refer to two 

 other observations, as it may be of assistance to future writers in 



Fig. 1. — Trichina cystica: Embryo of an oviparous nematode, obtained 

 in urine. (Reduced from Dr. Salisbury's figure representing it as 

 magnified 1000 diameters to = x 300 diam. 



deciding (1) as to the number of such helminths that may be 

 found in the urine of man, and (2) whether any of them should 

 be considered as pseudo-parasitic merely. In 1868 Dr. Salisbury 

 published an account of a parasite which he had found associated 

 with ova, in the urine of an insane old lady suffering from severe 

 ' cystinic rheumatism ;' and affected with partial paralysis of the 

 bladder and of other parts of the body. A drop of urine 

 frequently contained 10 to 15 ova. It was not a case either of 

 haematuria or chyluria, although it is sometimes erroneously stated 

 that she was suffering from the latter disease. This impression 

 has arisen from the fact of cystinuria having been confounded 

 with chyluria, two totally different disorders. The helminth is 

 described as Trichina cystica (fig. 1). 



1 "Annual Report of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government 

 of India," 1870. ' British Medical Journal,' 19th November, 1870. 



2 Leuckart's ' Parasiten,' Band, ii, p. 6i0. 



3 Idem ; and 'Journal cle I'Anatomie et dc la Physiologic,' t. xi, 1875. 

 ■* ' Gazeta da Bahia,' December, 1868. 



