ABNORMAL SIMPLICITY OF THE UTERUS. 



427 



have seen specimens of T. saginata in which the formation of the 



uterus, owing to reduction of its lateral branches and the obliteration 



of the accessory twigs, somewhat resembled that of T. solium. Yet I 



must assert that I have never been in the least doubt as to the great 



majority of the preparations and worms which I 



have examined; not even in the case of the 



worm which I have represented as faithfully as 



possible in the accompanying figure. In spite 



of the comparatively simple structure of the 



uterus, I considered it from the first as T. 



saginata, and the corroboration of my diagnosis 



was finally furnished by the expulsion of the 



head. The joints of this (unpigmented) worm 



were all of the above structure, indeed I have 



never found a tape-worm all the segments of 



,., . . ,,. FIG. 243. Joint of a 



which were not uniform in this respect. T saginata with unusu- 



Whether or not the simplification of the aU J simple structure of 



m . ,.-n ., the uterus, (x 2.) 



uterus in T. saginata may go still further, must 

 remain uncertain. Weinland reports having found an American 

 tape-worm which in size and head-structure belonged to this species, 

 and yet had exactly the uterus of T. solium.' 1 



Of course it is not only the proglottides which are capable of 

 great mobility and contractility. The whole tape-worm possesses 

 these properties in a corresponding degree, as is to be inferred from 

 the uniform arrangement and development of the musculature 

 throughout the chain. 



Such being the case, the measurements of tape- worms yield very 

 varied results, according to the state of contraction. We have given 

 the length of Tcenia saginata in our diagnosis as from 4 to 8 metres, 2 

 and have explained the reported variations as due to the varied ex- 

 tension of the worm, but we must also note that the varying number 

 of ripe proglottides has also much influence in determining the length. 

 On the other hand, we should have only a very incomplete idea of the 

 effects of muscular action if we were to limit them by stating that 

 the extreme dimensions are in the ratio 1 : 2. Goze saw a portion of a 



1 "Essay on the Tape-worms of Man," p. 40, Fig. 8, Boston, 1858; Med. Corresp.- 

 Bl d. wiirtemb. drztl. Vereins, p. 31, 1859. 



2 According to Bremser and Diesing, the famous Viennese collection of Helminths 

 contains chains 20 to 24 feet long, very much longer, therefore, than the preserved speci- 

 mens I have measured, which were at most only slightly above 14 feet. Bremser reports 

 having seen still larger worms. The older results, according to which Tcenia solium (i.e., 

 generally Tccnia saginata) grew to 40, 50, and even 800 yards, are generally regarded as 

 erroneous. They have apparently added up every portion of the worm at any time 

 evacuated, and thus attained a result so colossal that it could not be contained at one time 

 in the human intestine. 



