379 
NOTE ON A CASE OF “TICK-PARALYSIS” 
IN AUSTRALIA. 
By C. STRICKLAND, M.A.,. B.C. 
In view of the interesting papers on “Tick Paralysis” published in 
Parasitology (vi. 283-297, 299-301, vii. 95-104) by Hadwen and Nuttall, 
it appears desirable to place the following case on record as described 
by the mother of the child: 
“My son, aged 11 years, had the misfortune to get a tick in his ear 
while in the bush in Australia, he was a boy scout and one Saturday 
afternoon he was out vdth the other boy scouts and must have got the 
tick then but did not know it; four days after he complained of feeling 
very sick and giddy, and as he was at boarding-school, the matron put 
him to bed and treated him for a bilious attack, he got much worse, 
as all his muscles seemed to be affected, he could not walk without 
assistance and his face wms quite crooked on one side; the Doctor was 
examining him and happened to touch his ear and the child exclaimed 
and said it hurt very much, then the Doctor examined his ear and found 
a very large tick (it had been there for a week): of course we all 
expected him to get well quickly once the tick had been removed, but 
no, his knees were very weak indeed and his face was no better; a 
consultation was held, between the school Doctor and one of Sydney’s 
best specialists (infantile paralysis w^as hinted at); however, with 
careful feeding and medicine the child was well again in ten days after 
the tick was removed. The Doctor said the tick had bitten near the 
facial nerve and also had poisoned his blood.” 
Note hy Geo. H. F. Nuttall. 
Unfortunately the tick w’as neither preserved nor identified. As it 
was stated to be very large wm may presume that it was an engorged 
female. The onset of the symptoms would appear to have coincided 
with the period of rapid engorgement of the parasite as recorded in 
connection with the experimental cases cited by Hadwen and Nuttall. 
The occurrence of paralysis affecting the face and legs and the fact 
that the child was well again within ten days of the removal of the tick 
indicate, in the absence of any other explanation, that this may 
well have been a case of “tick paralysis.” 
Para.sitology vn 
25 
