38 PARASITES OF MAN 



Singhesur Doradh, aged 30, was attacked with cholera on the 

 13th, and died on the 14th of July, 1857. Had not been in 

 hospital previously, and was employed in cleaning the jail." 



The post-mortem examination was made three hours after 

 death : " Colon externally livid, contracted ; contains a little 

 serous fluid with flakes of mucus. Mucous membrane healthy 

 except venous injection. In the caecum and ascending colon 

 numerous parasites like tadpoles, alive, adhering to the mucous 

 membrane by their mouths. The mucous membrane marked 

 with numerous red spots like leech-bites from these parasites. 

 The parasites found only in the caecum and ascending colon, 

 none in the small intestines." This description is by Dr Simp- 

 son, who adds, " I have never seen such parasites, and apparently 

 they are unknown to the natives. They are of a red colour, 

 size of a tadpole, some young, others apparently full grown, 

 alive, adhering to mucous membrane, head round, with circular 

 open mouth, which they had the power of dilating and contract- 

 ing. Body short and tapering to a blunt point." 



Drs Lewis and McConnelPs description of the worm is too 

 long to be quoted in full. The parasites measure 3 " to J" in 

 length, by " to j" in breadth. Science is much indebted to 

 these eminent observers for having unearthed the museum 

 specimens and for recording the facts they could gather. 

 From a zoological point of view the most interesting fact con- 

 nected with Lewis's amphistome is the existence of a gastric 

 pouch. This structure brings these human Masuri into close 

 relation with the equine parasite which I have named Gastro- 

 discus Sonsinoii, and which will be found illustrated in this 

 work (fig. 62). In short, Lewis's worm appears like a transi- 

 tion form ; the absence of gastric supplementary suckerlets 

 separating it from the new generic type. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY (No. 11). Lewis, T. E., and McConnell, T. F. P., 

 ef Amph. hominis ; a new parasite affecting Man," ' Proceedings 

 of the Asiatic Society of Bengal/ Aug., 1876. 



Bilharzia htematobia, Cobbold. This remarkable parasite 

 was discovered by Bilharz in 1851. It was subsequently 

 found by myself in an ape (1857) ; other species of the same 

 genus having since been detected by Sonsino in the ox and 

 sheep (1876). The human examples were originally obtained 

 from the portal system of blood-vessels. Afterwards they were 

 obtained by Bilharz, Griesinger, and others, from the veins of 

 the mesentery and bladder. It was shown that they were not 



