284 



ENTOZOA. 



If this table be correct, the disease is much more prevalent in 

 women than in men ; the explanation of which must be sought for 

 in the difference of their habits of life. No doubt, the water used 

 as drink by the women, is constantly obtained from supplies in. 

 the immediate neighbourhood of their dwellings, and in locahties 

 to which dogs have continual access ; moreover, the women, 

 probably, obey more impHcitly the dictates of the " quacks" 

 who supply them with the filthy medicines above-mentioned. 

 (For reference to Schleisner's work, see Bibliography.) The 

 comparative rarity of the echinococcus disease amongst sailors is, 

 according to my views, not so much dependent upon the circum- 

 stance that the seamen's diet usually consists of salted provisions, 

 as upon the fact that these men can seldom have opportunities of 

 drinking water from localities where dogs abound. Let uncom- 

 promising teetotallers beware how they condemn those who add a 

 little wine "for their stomach's" or, rather, for their liver's sake. 

 It may, indeed, be questioned if the addition of a little alcohol 

 would destroy the six-hooked embryos of Taenia echinococats whilst 

 still in ovo ; but, on the other hand, there can be no doubt that 

 water raised to a temperature of 212° Fahr. will always insure the 

 destruction of these parasite-larvae. Boiled water by itself, how- 

 ever, is by no means palatable. The reason why the upper classes 

 so seldom, comparatively speaking, suffer from hydatids, may be 

 attributed to the circumstances, that those few who drink water 

 take the very proper precaution to see that it is either " pump " or 

 fresh spring water — the latter is not absolutely safe — whilst the 

 majority partake of beer or porter, in which (even if the water 

 employed in the brewing-process should be impure) no living six- 

 hooked embryos are likely to exist. So far then as hydatids 

 are concerned, beer-drinking, on the whole, is preferable to 

 water-drinking; if, however, the so-called Adam's ale is filtered 

 and pure, no evil can possibly result from its moderate imbi- 

 bition. 



Diagnosis and Treatment. — One need say little as to the 



