66 , LECTURES. 



in accordance with his wishes, I prescribed an 

 anthelmintic in the form of powders, containing 

 areca-nut and scammony. As I had fully antici- 

 pated, and explained as probable, the results were 

 entirely negative; the patient in this particular 

 instance having the good sense to rest satisfied with 

 the evidence thus afforded of his complete freedom 

 from tapeworm. 



As I have elsewhere remarked, these suspected 

 instances of tapeworm are by no means uncommon, 

 and it is in this sort of cases that so much mischief 

 accrues from the parsimonious reluctance of even 

 comparatively wealthy persons to obtain a definite 

 opinion. On the other hand, many persons go 

 about with parasites in their interior, gradually 

 losing health without a suspicion as to the real 

 cause of their ailments. Here is another case of 

 supposed tapeworm where a final opinion proved of 

 the utmost service : j 



CASE XXXVI. R. M., a middle-aged gentleman, 

 residing in the northern suburbs of London, sought 

 my advice on the 1st of May, 1871. He had been 

 infested by tapeworm for about a twelvemonth, 

 during which he had been extremely nervous and 

 depressed ; whilst from his very agitated manner it 

 was very easy to perceive that the evil effects of the 

 parasitism had not yet disappeared. On closely 

 questioning him, I found that nearly eleven weeks 

 had clasped since he was last treated for the 



