DR. GREEN'S CASE. 251 



quarter of an inch and more in length, and then fell on the chest and to 

 the floor as others had done. I then held aside more of the veil from the 

 face, ear, and neck ; there was the same appearance of little-pink thread- 

 like worms, as thick as they could cluster, elongating themselves to get 

 out of the skin, and then falling, as from the forehead, on the floor. Many 

 of them seemed to give a sort of jump or jerk before they could escape 

 and fall from the person. The lady became more emboldened, and I was 

 allowed to remove the shawl from the neck and chest, and afterwards 

 from the arms, legs, &c. ; but from all parts of the person these worms 

 were sticking out, stretching themselves, and then with a positive jump 

 escaping from the skin to the distance of six or eight inches, occasioning 

 me to stand at a distance, in order that they might not fall or spring on 

 to myself. With the corner of a napkin I carefully wiped various parts 

 of the skin where I saw the worms sticking out, but I could not wipe 

 them away, though gently, without breaking off the heads ; and of those 

 that had become more elongated and protruding from the skin, they 

 would break short off, the bodies being very tender ; whilst the gentle 

 pressure of the napkin seemed to greatly facilitate and aid the escape of 

 others, and very many were full an inch in length, yet for the most part 

 they were from a quarter to three quarters of an inch in length, and 

 some more, looking like pink thin threads. They were annular and trans- 

 parent, with red heads, and the tail part was larger than the head part. 

 They lived only a few minutes after escaping from the skin, wriggling 

 themselves as worms do, and almost invariably curled themselves into a 

 crescent or horseshoe form, then, taking a spring to many inches' distance, 

 fell quite straight and dead, and the red heads in that short time would 

 become dark brown, approaching black in colour. The napkin with which 

 I had wiped the parts of the person I placed on a table, and having occa- 

 sion to take it up again from its folds, the table under it was covered 

 with these worms. I gathered about two or three table-spoonfuls of them, 

 which were afterwards subjected to investigation, as detailed in 'The 

 Lancet' of June, 1843. 



"The case being so unique I delayed publishing it, until a corre- 

 spondent of * The Lancet' made an inquirv ' whether there was a disease 

 of the skin, where living animals or insects were turned out.' This mainly 

 determined the recordation of the case. 



"Such cases, though so rare, I find are common enough in warmer 

 climates, although I myself never saw a similar case of entozoa in those 

 climes ; out they must be well known to physiologists. 



" It is satisfactory to know, at least as far as this case goes to establish 

 the fact, that in the sulphur fumigating baths, and perhaps other mineral 

 fumigating baths, we have a positive and direct remedy for such ailments, 

 and which I think may be thus easily explained : The moisture and heat 

 of these baths softening and laxing the skin, the worms more easily get 

 to the surface, whilst the sulphur (or perhaps other minerals) that are 

 used in the baths would make their position there untenable, and they are 

 readily enabled to escape from the skin. 



" The lady whose case is just related was very desirous of getting well 

 of her odious complaint, as she called it ; it was a sad source of annoyance 

 to her husband, as the worms were constantly escaping on to the pillows 

 and sheets and had been so doing for more than two years. She attributed, 



