J. A. Innes and A. E. Campbell 
107 
Relationship of Age to Infection. 
Our series of cases was mainly composed of adults, whose ages 
ranged from 15 to 53 years, and the commonest age of infection with 
Oxyuris in the appendix seems to be between the 21st and 24th years. 
At present it would be difficult to say with certainty that children show 
a higher percentage of infection, but probably such is the case. The 
figure given by Still (1909) of 20 % is higher than the average figure for 
adults in this country, but Brumpt (1910) and Railliet (1911) both give 
much higher figures for adults in France. This question, therefore, 
still remains open. 
Nature of Infecting Parasite. 
In the course of this investigation, only one species of parasite was 
met with, viz. : 0. vermicularis. We understand, however, that at the 
Royal Infirmary one or two cases have been found of T richocephalus 
trichiurus in the appendix. Undoubtedly the occurrence of this worm 
in cases of appendicitis is very rare in this part of the country. 
Other observers note that. T. trichiurus is much less frequently found 
than Oxyuris, but it seems strange that in 1880 Blanchard and Braun 
should have found the worm in the caecum 11 times out of 16 cases 
examined by them at Greenwich. No record of Ascaris lumbricoides 
having been found in the appendix could be obtained. 
Relationship of the Parasite to Appendicitis. 
This opens up a much disputed question, and as it lends itself to 
wide discussion, we propose to deal with this in a separate contribution 
which will be published shortly by one of us (J. A. I.). It will be 
sufficient to remark here that we think it very probable—in view of 
collected clinical data—that worm infection of the appendix gives rise, 
in many cases, to certain symptoms and to a definite type of history 
which are of diagnostic importance. From the table of cases investi¬ 
gated by us, it will be evident how largely recurrent appendicitis bulks 
in the total series, and also that of the infected cases, 65 % were of the 
recurrent type. 
Gangrenous appendices never showed the presence of any worm 
parasites, but we corroborate the fact already pointed out by von Moty 
(1902) that the subacute and chronic inflammatory changes are more 
characteristic of Oxyuris infection. 
