1758 



HELMINTH INFECTIONS 



Davaineiasis. 



Davainea madagascariensis (p. 6ii) is normally found in birds, 

 but about nine cases have been recorded in children in Madagascar, 

 Mauritius, Siam, and New Guinea. 



Intestinal Nematodiases. 

 Definition. — Intestinal nematodiasis is the invasion of the alimen- 

 tary canal by adult nematode worms. 



Strongyloidosis. 



Synonym. — Intestinal anguillulosis. 



Strongyloidosis, usually called intestinal anguillulosis, is the 

 infection of man with Strongyloides stercoralis Bavay, 1876 (vide 

 p. 628), which produces no symptoms if present in small numbers, 

 but induces an intestinal catarrh leading to anaemia and an inter- 

 mittent diarrhoea when in large numbers. The disease is met with 

 all over the tropical world, and even in the temperate zone. Diag- 

 nosis can only be effected by finding the rhabdite embryo (the so- 

 called Anguillula stercoralis) or the eggs in the faeces, in which the 

 latter will only be found when violent diarrhoea is present. The 

 treatment is the same as for ankylostomiasis. 



Trichuriasis. 



Synonyms.— Whip- worm infection, Trichocephaliasis. 



Nomenclature. — Biittner in 1761 first named the worm Trichuris, 

 or thread-tail, for he mistook the posterior end for the anterior. 

 Linnaeus in 177 1 called the worm Ascaris trichiura, but Goeze in 

 1782 changed the name to Trichocephalus trichiura, because he recog- 

 nized the error made by Biittner. The term Trichuris trichiura 

 Linnaeus must, however, stand, and the term for any disease 

 associated with this worm must be ' trichuriasis.' 



Definition. — Trichuriasis is an infection of the large intestine 

 appendix, or ileum by Trichuris trichiura Linnaeus, 1771 [vide p. 677), 

 which produces no symptoms unless it is present in large numbers, 

 when anaemia, nervous and gastro-intestinal symptoms may appear. 



History. — From the time of Barth, who, in 1845, was the first to 

 ascribe a pathogenic role to the worm, there have been a large 

 number of observers who have considered it to be the cause of 

 gastro-intestinal and nervous symptoms, while Metchnikoff and 

 Guiart in 190 1 considered it to be a cause of appendicitis. In the 

 same year Girard drew attention to the possible transmission of 

 pathogenic bacteria into the tissues via the wounds produced by 

 the worm. In 1902 Schiller ascribed a case of high fever to the 

 action of a heavy infection with, the parasite. In 1908 Musgrave, 

 Clegg, and Polk contributed an excellent monograph on the whole 

 subject of trichuriasis, together with full accounts of four cases. 

 Our own experience is in favour of the Worm being occasionally 



