72 PARASITES OP MAN 



feeding experiments. Excellent in all respects as was the 

 conduct of the medical students who, with Professor Perroncito's 

 approval, swallowed living specimens of the Cysticcrcus bovis, the 

 intentional ingestion of beef measles is by no means a novelty. 

 Eight or ten years back Dr Oliver (after explaining to one 

 of the selected victims the possible consequences of the experi- 

 ment) induced a Mahommedan syce or groom and a Hindoo boy 

 to swallow perfectly fresh and living beef measles. In this 

 way Dr Oliver successfully reared the Tania mediocanellata in 

 India, and he was thus enabled to fix the amount of time 

 necessary for the full growth of the strobila. Many other 

 persons have diplayed an equal amount of zeal in the cause of 

 helminthology, by partaking of the larvae or germs of other 

 parasites. Thus, at the risk of repetition, I may state that 

 Moller many years ago swallowed the slender-necked hydatid 

 (Cysticercus tenuicollis) in the hope of infesting himself with 

 T&nia marginata. Several persons have defiantly swallowed 

 trichinised flesh. Professor Leuckart and some of his pupils 

 also courageously swallowed the eggs of Oxyurides, and they 

 had the infinite satisfaction of noticing the young worms in 

 their fsecal discharges some fifteen days afterwards. Dr Crisp 

 ate part of the cooked flesh of an animal that had died of 

 cattle plague, and I myself partook of moderately cooked meat 

 which I knew to be swarming with psorosperms. These 

 obscure organisms were by some persons considered to be 

 either a cause or product of the rinderpest. They will be 

 noticed in my account of the Protozoal parasites. 



For the purpose of advancing science and the welfare of the 

 people, there are scores of persons always to be found ready 

 to make personal sacrifices of the kind undertaken by Drs 

 Ragni, Martini, and Gemelli. Unfortunately for English 

 science there are not wanting people in this country who are 

 prepared to threaten with fines and imprisonment any sin-nut 

 who may think it desirable to perform a similar set of feeding 

 experiments on animals. Invaluable for good as our experi- 

 mental investigations have already been, it would seem as if it 

 were the deliberate aim of these sentimental obstructives to 

 put a stop to the acquisition of all useful knowledge in the 

 future. 



In reference to the rate of growth of tapeworms, Professor 

 Perroncito's determinations are useful, inasmuch as they verify 

 certain ascertained facts with precision and confirm the general 



