NE MA TOD A 227 



Med. and Surg. Journ./ vol. xvii, 1821. Leverance, 0. E., 

 "History of a Case of Guinea- worm," from 'Amer. Med. Times/ 

 in the 'Glasgow Med. Journ./ vol. ix, 1861-62, p. 377. 

 Smyttan, G., " On Dracunculus," ' Calcutta Med. and Phys. 

 Soc. Trans./ vol. i, 1825, p. 179. Stewart, L. W., ' Indian Ann. 

 of Med. Sci./ vol. vi, 1858, p. 88. Twining, W., " Cases of 

 Dracunculus/' ' Calcutta Med. and Phys. Soc. Trans./ vol. 

 vii, 1835. 



Oxyuris vermicular is, Bremser. Of all the parasites infesting 

 the human body this is the one concerning which the medical 

 practitioner is most frequently consulted, partly on account of 

 its remarkable frequency in children, and more particularly on 

 account of the difficulty often experienced in getting perma- 

 nently rid of it. The Oxyuris vermicularis is by no means con- 

 fined to young persons, seeing that adults are infested even to 

 old age. It is familiarly known as the threadworm or seat- 

 worm. The male measures about 5", and the female from J" 

 to J" in length. The female possesses a long capillary tail, 

 which terminates in a three-pointed end. The extremity is 

 said to act as a kind of holdfast. The tail of the male is obtusely 

 pointed. In both sexes the body presents a more or less fusi- 

 form shape, the anterior end being narrowed to form a some- 

 what abruptly-truncated head, which is often rendered very 

 conspicuous by a bulging of the transparent integument sur- 

 rounding the mouth. This presents in profile the aspect of 

 winged appendages (fig. 45). The oral opening is tripapillated, 



I 



FIG. 45. Head of Oxyuris vermicularis. Highly magnified. After Busk. 



leading into a triangular oesophagus. The integument is trans- 

 versely striated, and of a silvery-white appearance. The 

 spicule is simple, single, and very minute. The eggs are 

 oblong and unsymmetrical. They measure about ^' from pole 

 to pole, and ~^' transversely. 



Many years back (1863) I pointed out that the most advanced 



