SPURIOUS WORMS. 133 



the presence of minute living parasites, which 

 she alleged to be constantly passing. Un- 

 doubtedly there was vesical irritation, with uterine 

 disturbance. Several of these so-called worms 

 having been placed in a bottle of water and sub- 

 mitted to my scrutiny, I at once referred them to 

 certain well-known forms of Infusoria ; the more 

 conspicuous species being Cypris tristriata and 

 Bursaria vulgaris. It was evident to my mind 

 that these pseudhelminths had neither passed from 

 the bowel nor from the urethra, and that the case 

 was therefore either one of intentional deception, or, 

 more probably, of unintentional self-deception. On 

 the latter supposition I sought to explain the acci- 

 dental introduction of water containing these crea- 

 tures into the night-stool, but suggestions of this 

 kind led to no satisfactory explanation. To allay 

 the vesical irritation and evident nervous irrita- 

 bility I prescribed buchu, hyoscyamus, and small 

 doses of steel. I also advised a change of scene ; 

 likewise the avoidance of late hours and excessive 

 visiting. This advice gave disappointment ; the 

 one thing needful, in the patient's mind, at least, 

 being the administration of a good vermifuge. 

 From what I subsequently heard I have little doubt 

 that the case was one of unintentional self-deception. 

 It is unpleasant, of course, to demand that patients 

 should be watched in order to find out how ento- 

 mostracous crustaceans, water-fleas, and other ani- 



