47 



caused the trouble, ocular demonstration of the threadworm, 

 and the unsavoury methods of diagnosis, become relatively 

 of far less importance than heretofore. 



X. COMPLICATIONS. 



I have included under the term of complications (1) those 

 pathological phenomena which frequently coincide with the 

 presence of the parasite, and, whether they favour x the attacks 

 or not, are themselves aggravated by it 2 ; and (2) those 

 morbid states which are definitely caused 3 by "worms." 

 Both may persist after the worms have been removed. It is 

 against these complications that mild general measures are 

 needed, to supplement the effects of the drug which expels 

 the Oxyuris. 



General Debility and Emaciation. 



General debility and emaciation are to some extent symp- 

 toms of the disease ; but may be so marked and persistent 

 as to become serious complications. The period of debility 

 which, as a rule, follows children's ailments, such as measles, 

 scarlet fever, whooping-cough and chickenpox, renders the 

 subjects very liable to *'* worms." Children, under their 

 influence, exhibit a condition of retarded development, both 

 physical and mental. Their growth is stunted, and their 



1 In mediaeval medicine worms . . . et nous verrons qu'on est 

 were universally considered the souvent dans 1'embarras pour etablir 

 result of disease : " Quis putaret laquelle de ces deux maladies 

 istum virtutem et mysterium in se inter-currentes merite la premiere 

 tantum continere, contra genus place." (RAYNATJD, H. L., op. cit., 

 omne vermium ex morbis orien- p. 10.) 



tium." (PARACELSUS, T., op. cit., 3 Threadworms may cause ser- 



pp. 409, 410.) ious mistakes in diagnosis : " Us 



2 The close connection between ont cause, meme chez des sujets 

 intestinal maladies and intestinal adultes, une foule d'indispositions 

 worms is insisted upon by many capable d'en imposer au medecin 

 modern observers: "Dans ces peu soucieux de rechercher les causes 

 diverses epidemics on a note le des affections pour lesquelles il est 

 plus souvent la coincidence de consul te : qu'il me suffise de citer 

 quelque affection intestinale grave I'urethrite et la dysurie, meme chez 

 qui venait soit compliquer 1'element 1'homme." (SANNIER, F. P., Des 

 vermineux, soit plutot emprunter principaux entozoaires de Vhomme, 

 sa gravite a la complication des vers Paris, 1869, p. 23.) 



