6 



of the threadworms. Acting on this syllogism (which has, 

 however, failed to convince the worms themselves), learned 

 medical men of all times have had recourse, over and over 

 again, to most dangerous drugs and measures, with results 

 often more disastrous to the sufferer than to his unwelcome 

 guests. And this state of affairs still continues. 



II. THE THREADWORM IN MEDICAL LITERATURE. 



From the earliest times onward, a host of medical writers 1 

 have dealt with the threadworm, and indeed it is almost 

 inevitable that this should have been the case. The disease 

 due to the parasite was known so long ago, even to the laity, 

 and, being particularly common in children, was so frequently 

 brought to the notice of physicians, that any man who aspired, 

 either to record the medical knowledge of his time or to found 

 a new system of medicine, was obliged to refer to it. Thus 

 from the earliest historical times, we find mention made of the 

 threadworm disease 2 by physicians who, in many cases, had 

 no claim at all to be regarded as specialists in this branch of 



1 The following are the most Joannes Actuarius II. 407 (ibid.). 

 important references to the thread- (HuBER, J. C., Bibliographic der 

 worm in old medical writings : Klinischen Helminthologie, Miin- 

 Hippocrates, Epidem. II. 1, 3 and chen, 1891, pp. 202, 203.) 

 Aphor. III. 20, also Morb. mulier. 2 The following is PHELSUM'S 

 II. 187, Epidem. IV. 10 (tAMt'vSm) ; quaint description of the thread- 

 Aristotle, De animalibus historia, worm disease, which he calls 

 V. 94 ; Discorides, Euporista, II. Morbus ascaridosus : " Die 

 68 and Mat. med. IV. 38 ; Galen Springwiirmerkrankheit (morbus 

 (Edit. Kiihn), V. 695, X. 1021 ; ascaridosus} halte ich also vor eine 

 (Method, med. Lib. XIV.), XII. 6, Hinderniss derenjenigen Hand- 

 XIV. 755 (Isagoge), XVII. B. 635, lungen und Geschafte, die einem 

 XVIII. B. 138, XIX. 86 ; Ero- gesunden Menschen eigen sind, 

 tian (Edit. Klein), pag. 40, 19 ; welche entweder von der Bewe- 

 Caelius Aurelianus (Chron. IV. gung der Springwiirmer, welche 

 8 and 9) ; Oribasius (Edit. Darem- die Runzen oder die Falten, und 

 berg), II. 216 and 245, IV. 572, die Nervchen, als die Werkzeuge 

 V. 764 ; ' Alexander of Tralles, des Gefiihls, der Gedarme reizen, 

 II. 597 (Edit. Puschmann) ; Aetius, und angreifen oder von ihrer allzu 

 Tetrabibl. III. Serm. I. cap. 41 ; grossen Freszhaftigkeit, da sie 

 Leo Philosophus, V. cap. 16 ; mehr Schleim, als sein soil, ver- 

 Paulus Aeginet, I. -IV. cap. 58 zehren, verursacht und erzeuget 

 (Edit. Basil, 1538) ; Theophanus worden." (PHELSUM, M. VAN., 

 Nonnus. cap. 172 ; Michael Pathologische Geschichte der Spring- 

 Psellus, p. 241 (Edit. Ideler) ; wuermer, Gotha, 1782, vol. ii., p. 2.) 



