44 
Cases Nos. 10 to 15. — Grassi (1887d) records 6 new cases, 3 observed l)v him 
in Lombardy, and 3 by Calandrcccio in Catania, Sicily. In 5 of the cases the 
l)arasites were few, and only slight nervous troubles were present. In the other 
(No. 12), however (one of the cases of Lombardy), the nervous troubles were very 
marked. An autopsy was performed on one of the cases in Catania (No. 15), whicli 
showed that the worms had bored deeply into the mucosa and provoked very con- 
siderable alterations, of which, however, no account is given. 
Cases Nos. 13 to 35. — Calaxdruccio (1890a) reports for Catania 23 cases in all, 3 
of which he states were observed by Grassi. It is possible that the 2 cases of the 
young Sicilians (7,8) reported by Grassi (1886 a, b, 1887d) are to be included in 
this number, but there seems to be some confusion in the reports of these two 
authors as to the identity of the various cases and a certain lack of definiteness, so 
that it is not possible to state the figures with accuracy. 
The persons examined were mostly young and of the male sex; 21 cases were 
children, 2 adults; 14 at least were males, and 3 females, very likely the other 6 
were males. In the feces of 20 cliildren, aged 8 to 10 years and attending the same 
rural school in Catania, the eggs of ITiimenolepi.'< nana were found 3 times, together 
with the eggs of A.scer/.s-, (Xei/uris, and TrlclmrC. Of 50 boys, aged 7 to 10 years, in 
the Ospizio di beneficenza of Catania, 4 harbored the parasite. 
Case No. 32 . — Calaxdruccio observed the case of a young child, who suffered from 
severe intestinal troubles, which ceased two days after the expulsion of a great num- 
ber of TJymenolepiM naoa. 
C((ses No.^f. 33 and 35. — He also mentions in some detail 2 cases, adults who luu-bored 
numerous specimens. They suffered with alternating diarrhea and constipati(»n, not 
infrequently with abdominal i)ains, and with more or less severe epileptic attacks of 
frequent occurrence. After the elimination of the parasites, the patients experienced 
no (listurl)ances for several months. The symptoms later reappeared, lint were less 
intense and less frequent. The feces were reexamined on a number of occasions, but 
no eggs of ILiimenolep'is nana could be found. This circumstaiu'e made it seem very 
probalile, according to Calaxdruccio, that the two individuals wei’e inherently epi- 
leptic; and the effect of the taptuvorms had lieen that of aggravating the symiitoms 
and rendering them more intense and more frecjuent. 
•CW.sv^ No. 35. — The case of a female child, 4 years oM, is referred to by Grassi A 
Calaxdruccio (1887a). Althougli this patient harbore<l tliousands of HijmenolepC, 
she showed no symptoms except 0 (;casional abdominal pains of transitory nature. 
Grassi (Grassi A Kovelli, 1892a) s[)eaks of seveml cases occurring during 1890- 
1891 among children of well-to-do families, but gives nodetailed account of them. 
Varese, Italy, 1884-1881) 2 cases. 
Crust’ No. 36. — CoMixi (1887 a, d, 1888 a) reports a case of Ifipnenolepis nana in a 
boy, 9 years of age, liorn and living in Gavirate. The parents of the patient were 
healthy, l)ut a xiaternal aunt had died with symptoms of insanity. At 14 months 
of age he had been treated with santonin for worms; after taking the drug his skin 
became cold, the lips and face blue, eyes staring, and body stiffened. After recover- 
ing from the immediate effects of the santonin he was left with a slight paresis of 
the extremities of the right side; this symptom, however, disappeared in a month 
without leaving any traces. He passed a great number of Oxyuris in June, 1884, 
after treatment with an anthelminthic clyster. On July 4 the boy was seen to 
liecome suddenly pale and comatose. After a few minutes the condition of coma 
was succeeded hy violent clonic contractions, trismus, and foaming at the mouth. 
This convulsive attack lasted aliout two hours, and was followed again by coma of 
several liours’ duration. 
On the 25th of August there were a couple of attacks of an epileptic nature, 
which up to tlie 14th of September were of daily occurrence, sometimes as many as 
6 in twenty-four hours. After this the attacks ceased. 
