SPARGANUM PROLIFERUM 



253 



and from 0.3 mm. to 2.5 mm. (^ to T V of an inch) in width, but in 

 one Japanese case they were uniformly larger, reaching a length 

 of three inches. Their peculiarly irregular shape is due to the 

 unique method of proliferation by the growth of buds or super- 

 numerary heads. These apparently 

 become detached, leave the cyst, and 

 become encapsuled themselves after 

 migrating in the subcutaneous tissue. 

 This explains the increasing num- 

 bers of acne-like spots or nodules 

 containing worms, which were re- 

 ported by the patients. 



Attempts made by Ijima to pro- 

 duce adult worms by feeding the 

 larvae to various domestic animals 

 failed, and nothing is known of the 

 life history or mode of infection be- 

 yond a suspicion that the eating of 



raw fish is responsible for it. Dr. FIG. 99. Sparganum proliferum, 



Gates, who discovered the Florida f rom , man A i / 1 F i la : Much en " 



larged. (After Stiles.) 



case, reported that there was prob- 

 ably a similar case in Florida a few years before, the patient 

 having moved to California where he died " eaten up with 

 worms." 



The rare occurrence of this peculiar and serious parasitic 

 disease is evidence that the mode of infection is unusual. The 

 suspicion that it results from eating raw fish is sufficient reason 

 for discrimination against this kind of food even in places where 

 this or other human parasites which come from raw fish are not 

 positively known to occur. 



