DRAOUNCULUS MEDINENSIS. 373 



CHAPTER XIY. 



DRAOUNCULUS MEDINENSIS. 



Importance of the Guinea-worm in reference to the disease termed dracontiasis — 

 Principal authors who have written on this subject — Greneral and specific characters 

 of Dracunculus medinensis — Greographical distribution — Anatoraical structure of 

 the adult female— Organization and development of the embryos — Treatment and 

 precautions to be observed — Summary — ^Brief notice of a second species. 



Ie, in reference to the welfare of Europeans, we recognize the 

 importance of making ourselves acquainted with the nature and 

 origin of the Trichina disease, the pork-measles^ the hydatid hel- 

 minthiasis, and several other maladies of parasitic origin, it is 

 none the less binding upon entozoologists to work out the various 

 unsolved problems relating to the ravages produced in tropical 

 countries by the guinea-worm. What Bilharz, Grreisinger, J. 

 Harley, and others, have done in reference to the formidable fluke 

 disease as it prevails in Egypt and elsewhere, Carter of Bombay 

 has been endeavouring to accomplish in reference to the dracontiasis 

 of India. In these investigations. Carter has been assisted and 

 partly anticipated by Busk, Owen, Jacobson, and others ; whilst, 

 more recently, Robin, Leblond, and especially Bastian, have added 

 important anatomical details. About ten years since, the late Sir 

 George Ballingall afibrded me an opportunity of examining one or 

 two of the numerous fine specimens of Dracimculi, which had, I 

 believe, been preserved in his collection for a period of something- 

 like thirty years. The result of this examination (as shown by a 

 statement published in the second edition of Ballingall' s well- 

 known " Outlines of Military Surgery") yielded a highly satisfac- 



