48 



intellectual powers remain dull and backward ; and their 

 whole appearance and manner present abnormalities, for 

 which the anxious parent can find no explanation. 



The debility which accompanies pregnancy is also often 

 aggravated by oxyurides. 



Anaemia, Chlorosis, etc. 



Definite anaemia may be a complication of this complaint ; 

 and so also may chlorosis, or green-sickness 1 in young girls, 

 for whom iron in some form or other is prescribed in unlimited 

 quantities, with no beneficial effects. It is stated that a large 

 proportion of sufferers show changes in the composition of the 

 blood. These usually take the form of an increase in the 

 number of blood-cells known as eosinophils, i.e., those which 

 stain readily with eosin 2 . 



Fits and Convulsions. 



Fits are common complications of threadworm disease 3 . 

 In adults they are epileptiform 4 in character ; but children 

 have the typical infantile convulsions 5 , the symptoms of which 



1 Some authors have distin- " Prima aegrota in praxi mea erat 

 guished a verminous chlorosis : puella annis decem, quae indies 

 " Ohio rose vermineuse (Beauclair laborat tricies Epilepsia, quae hor- 

 et'Viguier) ; il est probable que dans ribilibus actionibus exercitabatur, 

 ce cas la chlorose n'etait qu'une cursitabat per pagum delirans, 

 cachexie vermineuse." (FiDELiir, P., clamabat, circumjiciebatur, cum 

 op. cit., p. 32.) vero centum Vermes ab eadem 



2 " The eosinophil cells of the evacuaverim, restituta fait et bene 

 blood are frequently slightly in- adhuc valet ad hunc usque diem." 

 creased in number Dr. Boycott (WEIST, D. S., op. cit., p. 9.) 



states that in about two-fifths of 4 " Bartholin et Stahl ont ob- 



his cases in children who harboured serve chacun un cas d'epilepsie 



Oxyuris a definite increase in the entretenue par des oxyures." 



eosinophils had occurred ; more ( FIDELIN, P., op. cit., p. 29.) 

 rarely a high grade of eosinophilia 5 These convulsions are, at times, 



{up to 16 per cent.) is set up, whilst so serious as to end in death : " Ces 



quite commonly the blood shows convulsions sont . . . plus fre- 



normal proportions." (MANSON, P., quentes dans la premiere enfance 



and SHIPLEY, A. E., Parasitic que dans 1'age adulte : cependant 



Worms, in ALLBUTT'S System of on les a rencontrees entre 18 mois 



Medicine, London, 1907, vol. ii., et 45 ans. La mort a eu lieu a 



part ii., p. 892.) peu pres un nombre egal de fois dans 



3 \\TEIST quotes a remarkable les convulsions accompagnant 

 case of epileptic fits in a little girl, d'autres maladies, et dans les 

 which were solely due to worms, and convulsions simples." (FiDELiN, P., 

 disappeared with the latter : ibid., p. 14.) 



