142 NATURAL HIST011Y SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1867. 



Bobert Callwell, M.KI.A., President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the preceding Meeting were read, and confirmed. 



Notes on Tjenia Mediocanellata (Kucheniieister), (T. Inermis, Mo- 

 quin-Tandon), being its eiest recorded occurrence in Ieeland. 

 By Dr. W. Frazer, M. R. I. A., Honorary Member Medical Chirur- 

 gical Society of Montreal, &c. 



Tape-worm cannot be considered a common affection in Dublin, nor 

 does it seem very prevalent in any part of Ireland. From patients seen 

 in private practice, I have seldom obtained more than three to six spe- 

 cimens each year on an average, though sometimes two or three of these 

 cases will present themselves in rapid succession. The subject of en- 

 tozoa having recently attracted more of my attention than usual, I 

 became convinced, from investigating the history and symptoms com- 

 plained of by those individuals I had seen, that there were in Ireland 

 at least two distinct varieties of tape-worm, which I had before always 

 confounded together, and failed to determine their specific characters 

 with that strict carefulness the question demanded, and there were 

 grounds for concluding these would prove to be the common T. solium, 

 and its more formidable relation, T. mediocanellata, a correct description 

 of which we owe to Kuchenmeister. My surmises respecting the latter 

 worm received ample confirmation a few days since, by a gentleman 

 bringing me the specimen now recorded, which, so far as I can ascer- 

 tain, is the first recognised example of T. mediocanellata of indigenous 

 origin. 



The host of this parasite, a gentleman in the prime of life, of robust 

 frame, in perfect health and good condition, consulted me for an erup- 

 tion of isolated patches of psoriasis scattered over his limbs and body. 

 He also stated that for at least fourteen years past, and possibly for a 

 longer period, he was infested with tape-worm. Its presence caused 

 him great annoyance, as the mature isolated joints of the animal passed 

 from him at irregular intervals, with or without arvine dejections, 

 several of them in succession escaping whilst he was walking about his 

 occupations, or when warm in bed. He had endeavoured to get rid of 

 his unwelcome guest by using the ordinary round of vermifuges, and 

 related his experience with Kosso and Kamela. He preferred the 

 Kamela, its dose being smaller and therefore easier taken, and it had 

 the advantage of being tasteless ; he also thought it more effectual, for 

 he succeeded by its means in removing (besides a few small detached 

 fragments) one continuous mass of adhering joints, 15 feet in length, 

 which he measured after its expulsion, whilst still alive and in motion. 



He was anxious to have his pest thoroughly expelled, and volun- 

 teered, with this design, to carry out any reasonable directions. I re- 

 commended him to take early in the morning a full dose of castor-oil, 

 and use for that day soft food and soup, &c, to expose the animal more 



