42 



irritation experienced in the nose may be accompanied by 

 sharp attacks of bleeding from that organ x . 



The dilatation of the pupils, mentioned above, is really 

 due to the disturbances of the nervous system 2 . ^ Amongst 

 nervous symptoms must also be classed the inclination for, 

 and the habit of, self-abuse, which is easily formed by those 

 who suffer from threadworms, and is very difficult to check. 

 There appears to exist an almost overwhelming impulse to- 

 wards this habit, which, it has been suggested, may be induced 

 reflexly by local irritation of the prostate gland, through the 

 walls of the rectum, to which the former is in close proximity ; 

 or, in the female, also reflexly, by the passage of worms into 

 the vulva and vagina 3 . 



Frequent and uncontrollable night -emissions may be a 

 symptom in some instances 4 . 



Abnormalities of Temperature. 



In a number of cases, the temperature is raised inter- 

 mittently ; and it is even said that threadworms have led to 

 a mistaken diagnosis of " intermittent fever 5 /' 



Abnormalities of Sleep. 



Sleep is frequently disturbed 6 . The patient lies awake 7 , 

 or only sleeps fitfully and restlessly. Children have fits of 

 crying, or screaming, on awaking from sleep ; and scratching, 



1 " . . .A cela il faut a j outer riasis, peuvent, reconnaitre la meme 

 . . . des epistaxis frequentes cause." (FiDELix, P., op. cit., pp. 

 . . ." (FiDELiN, P., op. cit., 29, 30.) 



p. 36.) 5 " . . . ils ont produit des 



2 " Nervi enim debilitentur ne- acces tellement caracterises de fievre 

 cesse est, si continuis fere spasmis intermittente que des praticiens 

 fatigantur, et optima lympha a habiles ont etc induits en erreur 

 vermibus consumitur. Et hancce M. Cruveilhier avoue avoir pris pour 

 debilitatem nervorum majoris dila- une fievre intermettente des acci- 

 tationis pupillae caussam esse exis- dents periodiques dus a des oxyures 

 timo." (HiNZE, P. E., op. cit., p. 43.) vermiculaires." (FiDELiN, P., op. 



3 " Qui faisait nattre en elles la cit., p. 24.) 



funeste habitude de la masturba- 6 " Aliquando somnura arcent 



tion." (TURPIN, V., op. cit., p. 7.) vermes." (PHILITES, S. C., op. cit., 



4 " Une observation tres remarqu- p. 33. ) 



able a ete citee par M. Lallemand, 7 " L'irritation qu'ils determinent 



dans son ouvrage : les accidents peut occasionner . . . une in- 



etaient dus a la presence des oxyures somnie opiniatre que Ton ne sait 



dans le rectum. L'incontinence noc- a quoi attribuer chez les enfans." 



turne d'urine, 1'onanisme, le saty- (HEMONT, J. M., op. cit., p. 12.) 



