I97P 



DISEASES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUES 



Climatology.— Dracontiasis is a disease of the tropics, especially 

 of tropical Africa, and particularly of the West Coast. It is also 

 known in Asia Minor, Persia, and India. Although coohes infected 

 with the worm frequently pass from India to Ceylon, we have no 

 evidence that the latter island has so far become infected. It is 

 also known in the Fiji Islands. It was introduced into America 

 by the negro slaves, and has become endemic in British Guiana 

 and Brazil. 



iEtiology. — ^The causation of the disease is Dracunculus medi- 

 nensis Linnaeus, 1758, taken into the body by drinking water 

 containing infected cyclops, which are most abundant during the 



dry season, and which mostly live ^ - 



near the bottom of wells and BlB^^H|^BB|BB^Bp^ 

 collections of water. ^^■^^^^^^^^^^^^HF 



Fig. 789. — Guinea-Worm under Fig. 790. — Guinea- Worm in Process 



Pathology.— On entering the stomach the cyclops is killed by the 

 action of the acid of the gastric juice, but the Dracunculus is stimu- 

 lated, and, dashing about energetically, effects its escape from the 

 cyclops, and, piercing the walls of the stomach, enters the con- 

 nective tissue of the mesentery and becomes an adult. 



After a time the fully-developed female begins to travel in search 

 of a means of depositing the larvae in water, and therefore usually 

 wanders into the leg, and forming first a vesicle and then an ulcer 

 in the skin, discharges the larvae. 



Symptomatology. — ^The worm as a rule produces no symptoms 



THE Skin. 



(From a photograph by 

 Christopherson.) 



OF Extraction. 



(From a photograph by 

 Christopherson.) 



