TAPEWORMS. 49 



uselessly, not to say injuriously, drugged, her 

 medical advisers honestly believing all the while 

 that they would thus expel a tapeworm, which, as 

 you see, never had any existence excepting within 

 the precincts of their own vivid imaginations. 



Once more I ask you to reflect on the facts of 

 this case. They are few and simple. Here is a 

 lady seriously out of health. She endures various 

 personal hardships, leaves her husband, spends her 

 money, and takes several disagreeable medicines for 

 no other reason than to get rid of a parasite which 

 she certainly never possessed. Of course it is anK I 

 unpleasant thing to have to give an opinion adverse ( 

 to that of one's professional brethren ; but this is 

 only one instance amongst many where we are/ 

 called upon to display a little moral courage in thej 

 interests of truth and of our patients' welfare.! 

 There is not a well-informed and experienced 

 member of the profession who has not, at some 

 time or other, been placed in a similar predicament 

 as regards other maladies; and in respect of para- 

 sitism, all I contend is that in order to prevent 

 the recurrence of such frightful mistakes it is 

 desirable that you should familiarize yourselves 

 with the appearances presented by the various kinds 

 of human entozoa. 



