DK. THEODOR NEUMANN. 245 



that of a hazelnut or walnut. Cases are known, how- 

 ever, when echinococci of the size of a child's or even of 

 a man's head were found that weighed ten or fifteen 

 kilogrammes. It cannot be astonishiug that such a 

 parasite causes serious troubles through its bulk and 

 the dislocation of surrounding organs. Lungs and liver 

 are its favorite abode, yet it has been found in nearly- 

 all other organs, even in bones, which it softens and 

 sometimes destroys completely. It is also found in the 

 brain, and in the eye; in short, there is no [)art of the 

 body which may not harbor an echinococcus at times. 

 Its real hosts are pigs, cattle, and sheep, which have 

 many opportunities to be itifected with it. It finds, 

 however, all the conditions for full development in man 

 also, and then it becomes a very dangerous guest. It 

 appears all over the earth, especially in some countries, 

 i. e., in Egypt, in Australia, prominently in Iceland, 

 which has a sad reputation for its "liver disease": 

 among 25 people there is surely one suffering from it. 

 This disease has several very different symptoms, de- 

 pending upon the seat of the worm. In many cases no 

 disturbances arise, and a post-mortem examination only 

 reveals the presence of the parasite. The number and 

 size of the individuals will, of course, also influence 

 the degree of the ailment. A cure is rarely possible, 

 and treatment is not often accompanied by real and last- 

 ing relief. Under such circumstances the only reliable 

 remedy is guarding against infection. We know that 

 the dog is the real host of this tape-worm, and the only 

 animal that furnishes its eggs; therefore beware of com- 

 ing in close contact with dogs. The observation that 

 Icelanders are visited by this ugly disease is corrobo- 

 rated by the circumstance that they have such intimate 

 intercourse with their dogs, sharing not only food but 

 even lodging with them, so that a non-infection is really 

 the exception. Also in other countries intimacy with 



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