126 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN". 



in dogs in North Greenland, and occasionally finding entrance into the 

 bodies of their masters in that bleak territory — has not been found in 

 Ireland, at least in the human body. 



The geographical range of distribution of B. latus is ascertained 

 with tolerable accuracy in Northern Europe ; its southern limits are 

 less thoroughly known. It prevails extensively in the departments of 

 Switzerland, and spreads from the South of France through Central 

 Germany and Poland, at least to the Eastern borders of European 

 Eussia. A gentleman informs me he has observed it at Kazan, where 

 it is often met with, though less prevalent there than the true Taenia}. 

 Northwards its habitat extends through the Baltic provinces and Hol- 

 land ; and Dr. Huss, of Sweden, describes it as extensively prevalent 

 on part of the Lapland frontier, in Einland, and on the shores of the 

 Gulf of Bothnia. In the South of Europe it has been recognised in 

 certain of the Italian cities ; and there are reasons to believe it reaches 

 even to Northern Africa, Algeria, and Abyssinia. It is also quite pos- 

 sible it may yet be discovered spreading far eastwards, through the re- 

 gions of Central and Northern Asia; for Kuchenmeister more than 

 suggests it was imported into Europe from these lands, following the di- 

 rection of Tartar and Mongol migrations from their primitive Asiatic 

 settlements : still he admits the important qualifying fact, that in all 

 those localities where it has become naturalized its favourite haunts are 

 damp, low situations — extensive marshy districts, reaching along "the 

 shores of rivers and lakes, and of the sea, and especially in parts ex- 

 posed to inundations." The observations of Dr. Huss lead to similar 

 conclusions : he says — " On the coasts there is scarcely a family alto- 

 gether free from its presence ; old and young, rich and poor, natives 

 and emigrants, alike suffer from the worm." On passing inwards the 

 liability to become infested decreases ; and eight or ten leagues from 

 the coast, rivers, or lakes, it almost ceases to be found. These state- 

 ments regarding the favoured situations where Bothriocephali flourish, 

 being marshy soil, near lakes or sheets of water, are confirmed by the 

 history of the case I wish to record. 



In collating the antecedent history of individuals from whom Both- 

 riocephali were expelled, either here or in England, it will be noticed 

 there is one striking feature almost invariably present — namely, they 

 have either visited or resided in some Continental locality where this 

 worm is known to abound ; and the presumption almost becomes a cer- 

 tainty that they must have obtained their parasites during their sojourn 

 abroad. The exceptions to this rule are of extreme rarity. Thus, of the six 

 specimens that are preserved in the Museum of the London College of Sur- 

 geons, one was got from a native of Switzerland ; another, from a Bus- 

 sian, attached to the Russian Embassy, London ; a third, from a person 

 wbo had travelled in Switzerland; the fourth came from a native of 

 Russia, who, after long residing in England, revisited his native land, and 

 on his return brought back with him his parasite ; the fifth happened in 

 the practice of Dr. Gull ; it was expelled from a little girl who resided 

 at Woolwich, and is the only case of the series where the worm can be 



