79 
PROPHYT^AXIS. 
Upon the assumption that H. nana of man is the same form as 
IL murina of the rat, and that development occurs in man in the 
manner demonstrated by Grassi for the rat, namehy without a change 
of hosts, the prophylactic precautions to be observed are evident. 
As far as possible banish rats and mice from the premises, and keep 
food out of their reach, especially food that is eaten raw, or after 
cooking is kept for some time before being eaten. 
Considering also the possibility that some insect may act as an inter- 
mediate host, insects should, on this account, as well as for esthetic 
and general hygienic reasons, be kept out of the food. 
Of course not only food, but other objects which have been con- 
taminated by the feces of rats or mice, or of an infected person, may 
convey infection b}- carrying the eggs to the mouth; hence, articles 
(including lingers) which are placed in the mouth should be clean, 
and unnecessaiw objects should be kept out of the mouth; this rule, 
which is applicable also in a scheme of prophylaxis against parasitic 
infection in general, should be enforced, especially in the case of 
children, who are notorious!}" indiscreet with regard to what the}" put 
in their mouths, and in view of the possibility mentioned in the fore- 
going paragraph, special care might well be taken that they do not, 
accidentally or willfully, put in the mouth and swallow insects. The 
feces of infected persons should be properly disposed of. 
Blanchard (1891a, p. 105) epitomizes the subject of prophylaxis in 
the following words: 
From whatever point of view examined, the great problem of the suppression of 
parasitic diseases, whether they be infectious or not, is summed up in this formula: 
Cleanliness, always cleanliness. 
The Fiavopunctate Tapeworm — HYMENOLEPIS DIMINUTA (Rudolphi, i8ig) 
V. Blanchard, i8gi. 
HISTORICAL REVIEAV. 
The original description^ of the species Hymenolepis diminuta was 
given by Rudolphi (1819, pp. 689-690) as follows: 
«A quelque point de vue qu’on 1’ examine, le grand probleme de la suppression 
des maladies parasitaires, qu’elles soient on non infectieuses, se resume done en cette 
formule: de la proprete, encore de la proprete. 
^ Tsenia diminuta R. n. sp. — T. capite obconico, collo longo, tenui;' articulis anticis 
bevissimis [sic], reliquis subcuneatis obtusis. Hah. In intestinis J/wrus ratti gravidi 
Olfers in Brasilia reperit. 
Specimina sex ad novem pollices et quod excurrit longa, nam fragmentis computatis 
forsan longiora. Caput obconicum, oscidis anticis majusculis, exacte T. omphalodis, 
quam Mantiss, p. 491, descripsi, sed multo minus, unde nomen triviale desumsi. 
Collum longum teniie. Articuli priores rugseformes, sensini majores, semper tamen 
longitudinis ratione habita breves, angulis obtusis; posteriores passim irregulares, 
sed breves. Ova subglobosa^ mediocria. 
Ohs. Omphalodem dixerim, nisi caput multo minus, ova major forent; haec forsan 
in Omphalode crescere posse contenderes, sed caput non augebitur. 
