PARASITES OF ANIMALS. 79 



distinguishing the two species and, therefore, both are con- 

 founded together as " the common tape-worm." 



In this country persons generally obtain this parasite by 

 eating dried beef and Bologna sausages uncooked. In the lat- 

 ter, there may be not only the young of this tape-worm, but 

 also those of the pork tape-worm and Trichina^ since there is 

 also an admixture of pork. It is therefore evident that it is 

 unsafe for the individual, and even a wrong to the community 

 for persons to indulge in eating raw meats of any land, for 

 we find that pork, beef, and mutton may each contain the 

 young of different tape-worms and other parasites, and per- 

 sons who harbor these worms in their own bodies become, in 

 one sense, a nuisance, since they thus serve as the propaga- 

 tors and disseminators of parasites. And although one or 

 two of these tape-worms may not cause any serious trouble in 

 the bowels of one man, in another they may produce very 

 grave consequences, and still more so, if, as often happens, 

 several live together in one person. 



Symptoms. 



The symptoms and treatment are the same for both species 

 of human tape-worms, but the species now under considera- 

 tion is said to be more easily destroyed than T. solium^ per- 

 haps because it does not have so secure an anchorage as the 

 latter has, with its hooks well imbedded in the membranes. 



The symptoms vary greatly, according to the temperament 

 and other peculiarities of the person affected. Sometimes it 

 causes little or no marked disturbance of the health, though 

 causing perhaps more or less weakness, lassitude, and sense of 

 weariness, often accompanied by restlessness, nervous irritabil- 

 ity, and headache, which are nearly always attributed to other 

 causes. In more severe cases, these symptoms become much 

 increased, the headache especially, which is often accompa- 

 nied by giddiness. " The sight and hearing may be affected ; 

 noises in the head, itchings at the nose and anus, obscure 

 pains about the body and limbs, loss of appetite, and other 

 dyspeptic symptoms, show themselves in greater or less de- 

 gree in different cases. One of the most common symptoms, 

 however, which I have noticed, is the tendency to faintness. 

 This is sometimes so marked as to create much alarm, and a 



