INFESTING  THE  MUSCLES  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 
319 
Jmbitat  in  the  interior  of  living  animal  bodies.  Referring  it,  however,  provisionally,  to 
the  class  Entozoa  of  Rudolphi,  in  which  it  would  indicate  a  new  order,  its  generic  cha- 
racter may  be  thus  given  : 
Genus  Trichina. 
Animal  pellucidum,  filiforme,  teres,  postice  attenuatum  :  oslineare;  anusnullus;  tubus 
intestinalis  genitaliaque  inconspicui,  {In  vesica  externa,  cellulosd,  elasticd,  pie- 
rumque  solitarium.)  . 
Trichina  spiralis. 
Trich.  minutissima,  spiraliter  raro  jiexuose  incurva ;  capite  ohtuso ;  collo  nullo ;  caudd 
attenuatd  ohtusd.  {Vesica  externa  ellipiicd,  extremitatihus  plerumque  attenuatis  elon- 
gatis.) 
Hah.  in  Hominis  musculis  (praeter  involuntarios)  per  totum  corpus  diffusa,  cre- 
berrima. 
With  respect  to  the  case  in  which  this  singular  parasite  has  been  met  with,  Dr.  Rou- 
pell.  Physician  to  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  has  obligingly  forwarded  to  me  the  fol- 
lowing notes. 
"  Paolo  Bianchi,  an  Italian,  by  trade  a  barometer-maker,  about  50  years  of  age,  of  a 
sallow  complexion,  with  black  hair  and  eyes,  was  admitted  under  my  care  on  the  4th  of 
December,  1 834.  When  admitted  he  was  much  emaciated  and  weak,  his  countenance  was 
haggard,  and  his  look  depressed.  His  legs  were  cedematous  ;  his  urine  contained  albu- 
men, was  sweet,  and  when  evaporated  yielded  a  residue  like  treacle  :  he  had  pain  in  the 
back.  His  appetite  was  deranged,  and  his  liver  was  felt  beyond  its  natural  limits.  He 
had  cough,  but  without  urgent  distress  or  hurry  in  the  breathing  or  expectoration  ;  on 
auscultation  pectriloquy  was  detected  in  the  upper  part  of  the  lungs  :  his  bowels  were 
relaxed.  The  general  treatment  was  to  give  him  strength  by  tonic  and  sedative  medi- 
cines, with  a  nutritious  but  not  stimulating  diet,  and  leeches  were  apphed  to  the  loins  : 
for  a  time  he  appeared  to  gain  ground,  the  oedema  disappeared,  and  he  gained  some 
strength,  being  able  to  get  out  of  bed  and  dress  himself.  But  his  appetite  rather  sud- 
denly failed  him  ;  his  diarrhoea  increased  ;  his  abdomen  became  tense  and  painful ;  his 
stools  passed  unconsciously  and  contained  blood  ;  and  having  received  extreme  unction 
from  his  priest,  he  died  on  the  29th  of  January,  1835,  in  a  state  of  extreme  debiUty  and 
emaciation.  There  had  not  been  observed  any  eruption  on  the  skin,  or  any  greater  loss 
of  muscular  power  than  related  to  the  debility  caused  by  the  disease  of  which  he  died. 
"  He  was  examined  thirty-six  hours  after  death.  Tuberculous  cavities  were  found  in 
the  upper  lobes  of  the  lungs  on  both  sides,  and  specks  of  tubercles  in  both.  The  kid- 
neys presented  in  a  marked  degree  the  change  described  by  Dr.  Bright.    The  liver  was 
2  u  2 
