CESTODA 135 



ing the bones. There is a humerus, taken from a man thirty- 

 four years of age, in which the shaft is occupied throughout by 

 small hydatids that have destroyed almost all the cancellous 

 structure ; in some places, also, the absorption of the cortical 

 layer has gone on to such an extent as to have left little more 

 than the periosteum. Of course, the bone was at last fractured 

 easily. It is a beautiful specimen ; and the existence of Echi- 

 nococcus-heads was proved by microscopic evidence. Scarcely 

 less interesting are two preparations illustrative of Mr Travels 

 case of a man, thirty-eight years of age, in whom numerous 

 small hydatids occupied both the head of the tibia and the lower 

 end of the femur. Each set of parasites freely communicated 

 with the knee-joint, necessitating amputation of the limb. 



The very large museum connected with Guy's Hospital is 

 rich in hydatids. When, some time ago, I spent several days 

 in going over the collection, I examined seventy-six prepara- 

 tions, representing apparently seventy separate cases of this 

 affection. Amongst the noteworthy specimens one lung 

 hydatid was intimately associated with a thoracic aneurism, 

 two others being connected with the pleura ; and of seven 

 abdominal cases, five were connected with the peritoneum, one 

 with the mesocolon, and one with the aorta. This last-men- 

 tioned instance occurred in a woman of sixty years, who, until 

 her death, was treated for dropsy. She complained of incessant 

 pain, which was only relieved when she rested on her hands 

 and knees. Of the three cases affecting the heart one has 

 been published (Mr Henderson's), where the patient, a girl of 

 nineteen years, died suddenly whilst in the apparent enjoyment 

 of perfect health. In one of the other two cases (Mr May's, of 

 Tottenham), the left lung was also involved. One case of 

 hydatid disease affecting the spinal column appears to have been 

 originally an ordinary liver case. In Mr Cock's example of 

 genuine mammary hydatids, the hooklets and echinoccocus 

 heads were detected ; but I am not sure that a similar 

 result of microscopic examination was obtained in the equally 

 interesting example of hydatids of the thyroid gland (also 

 removed by Mr Cock). There are five bladder cases, all 

 apparently genuine (of which one has been published) ; and 

 there are also five other cases referred in the catalogue to the 

 kidneys, of which I regard two as doubtfully parasitic in 

 character. Of three cases of hydatid growths occupying the 

 soft parts of the thigh, two were under Mr Bryant's care. The 



