TAPEWORMS. 67 



malady ; and lie admitted that the male-fern treat- 

 ment then employed was successful to the extent of 

 bringing away from ten to fifteen feet of the worm. 

 However, he quite believed that the animal had 

 grown afresh, and was prepared to take any vermi- 

 fuge I might order. This kind of treatment I 

 decidedly refused to adopt, exhorting him mean- 

 while to dismiss from his mind the notion of his 

 still being a parasite bearer. I gave advice as to 

 diet, and ordered a powerful neurotonic. . At the 

 expiration of twenty-four days he returned much 

 improved in his general health, and he appeared 

 much gratified when I now tendered him the most 

 positive assurances as to his entire immunity from 

 tapeworm or any other evil being of a similar 

 description. 



Of course it is not always safe to say that a 

 patient is free from parasites when the particular 

 entozoon for which he has been treated happens to 

 be absent ; but with very careful questioning you 

 may generally form a correct diagnosis on this 

 point. Occasionally in treating for one kind of 

 worm you encounter another of a totally different 

 description. Thus in Case XVI. I expelled a 

 Trichocephalus ; and the whip worm, you know, is 

 comparatively rare in this country. It is so 

 at least in the human subject, but not in our 

 food-producing animals. As regards other para- 

 sites liable to occur in association with tape- 



