THE ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES. 01 



by the worms ; upon rare occasions minute punctures, 

 surrounded by a little red circle, have been found. 



The lumbrici sometimes leave their usual situa- 

 tion either spontaneously, or in consequence of the 

 expulsive efforts of the intestine, out of which they 

 pass through either a natural or an accidental open- 

 ing. When they pass out through a natural opening 

 they find their way into a visceral cavity, or into 

 some excretory duct which communicates with the 

 alimentary canal, and when they emerge through an 

 adventitious opening they find their way into some 

 cavity which has no normal communication with the 

 intestines, or else they get into the substance of the 

 abdominal walls. In all of these cases, varied 

 symptoms and serious complications result. 



If worms be found in any organ, upon making 

 a post-mortem examiaation, it is not to be always 

 concluded that they must have existed there pre- 

 viously to the death of the patient ; as lumbrici hve 

 for several hours after the death of the individual 

 who is affected by them, and their movements are 

 sufficiently active to admit of their crawling out of 

 the intestine along any passage where no actual 

 obstacle is offered to their transit. 



Lumbrici which have passed into the large intes- 

 tines do not live there for any long period, and are 

 commonly discharged with the evacuations without 

 giving rise to any complications. 



When they pass higher up the alimentary canal, 

 and enter the stomach, they are usually expeUed by 

 vomiting ; their presence in this organ is generally 

 borne with difficulty, and it. excites pain, nausea, and 

 vomiting. 



