345 
H E L M I N T 
?,ted be-tvveen the longitudinal canals, occupying the 
middle of the worm. It is always difpofed in an ar-bo- 
refcent form, and is termed the arborefcaxt ovaria, from 
its refemblance to a tree, being compofed of a middle 
canal or trunk, and lateral famuli; an articulation .of 
which is fliown in the engraving at c. T here is a com¬ 
munication between this arrangement of veffels arid the 
ofculum on the margin, by means of an intermediate 
canal, which, in fome joints, is filled with a brown mat¬ 
ter. The ovaria are generally filled with an opaque 
fluid, very like chyle, which is laid to contain ovula. 
In fonie joints, and moftly thofe near the tail of the 
worm (for the'fe are generally more tranfparent than the 
reft), this circumftance is evident to the naked eye, ef- 
pecially if the joint be placed on blue paper. If fome - 
of this opaque fluid' be taken out of the canals and fuin¬ 
jected to the microfcope, it is laid to exhibit ovula of 
different fizes, from the largeft of which very flender 
taeniae.have been f'een to efcape upon rupturing its ovum, 
contorted in a fpiral form, and having confpicuous traces 
of articulations, and one extremity acuminated, the other 
obtufely broad. This experiment was made by Goeze, 
and is fhown in the engraving at g.. 
The joint next to the head is received into the bafts 
of the head, and it, in like manner, receives the begin¬ 
ning of the next joint, wliich order is pbferved through¬ 
out the whole extent of the worm. Thus the inferior 
margin of joint, or that towards the tail, is called the 
receiving articulatory margin, to diftingui-fh it'from the 
other, which is received. The receiving articulatory 
margin is fupplied with a ligamentous band, to wliich 
the longitudinal mufclesar-e attached, which firmly em¬ 
braces the next joint. This margin may 'always be 
known from the other by its being largeft, and by its 
being fringed, whereas the other is plain, and fomewhat 
rounded. 
The joints of the taenia folium are very eafily fepa- 
rated from each other whilft the animal is alive. This 
reparation is effected either by the periftaltic motion of 
the inteftines, or, perhaps, fpontaneoufly. Each joint 
thus detached from the mother worm, has the power of 
retaining, for a conliderable time, its living principle, 
and is called, from its refemblance to the feed of the 
gourd, vermis cucurbitinus . This phenomenon has given 
rile to many warm difputes ; feveral authors have de¬ 
nied their being portions of taeniae, and have affirmed 
that they were diliinft worms. The feparated joints do 
not appear capable of retaining their fituatiori for any 
length of time, but are foon forced down the inteftinal 
tube, and at length'creep out, or are ex pelled, per anum. . 
“ I knew a man, (fays Dr. Hooper,) who had been for 
fome time troubled with this fpecies of taenia; when¬ 
ever he took an eccoprotic hiedieine, he voided upwards 
of forty detached joints with his faeces; and, I remem¬ 
ber a female patient, who was always tormented by their 
creeping per anum two or three hours after dining, with¬ 
out the exhibition of any medicine. Such eliminations 
are common to all who nourifh this worm. Thus it is 
evident that the joints of this animal exift for a time 
when feparated from each other. I have kept them 
alive for two or three days together; but 1 do not be¬ 
lieve that they are capable of living any length of time 
in the inteftines,. when perfectly detached. I am in¬ 
clined to beiieve that the vermes cucurbitini have not 
tile power of Wopagating the fpecies, i. e. of forming 
frefli joints; 1 conceive that property to be peculiar to 
the head ; but this is to be confulered as mere hypothe- 
iis, cherilhed by the twoj'ollowing circumftances : ill. 
That their expulfion always fucceeds their being de¬ 
tached ; and, fecoridly, that Hie feparation pf the joints 
appears to be the only means of infuring the worm a con¬ 
tinuance in its fphere ; for, were the head to continue 
multiplying the joints, and the joints have the lame 
power, they would foon obliterate the cavity of the in- 
Voi. IX. No. 590. 
HOLOGY. 
teftinal tube; and, confequently, effect their own ex- 
pulfion. 
“ There are feveral cafes faithfully recorded, and fe¬ 
veral have come under my own care, where the perlons, 
if their veracity can be depended upon (and they had 
no intereft in deceiving), have voided, during the time 
they were troubled with the worm, upwards of -fifteen 
thoufand. I have attended feveral patients who were 
martyrs to the ravages of this animal for upwards of fe~ 
ven years, and the number of joints which during that 
period have been evacuated, are beyond all conception; 
from fome, upwards of fifty per day, and feldom fewer 
than twenty. When a fpecific is adminiftered, and the 
A/r worm or worms brought away-by (tool, rio more 
portions,are ever known to follow. But experience 
teaches, that, when all is voided except the head, 
then, in a fhort time after, frefh joints are generated, and 
the patient is as much troubled with them as before. 
Thus it is evident that the formation of the joints is 
proper to the head of the animal, and, I believe, to it 
alone.” 
Mr. Carlifle, in the volume of Linnaean Tranfafftions 
above referred to, has very jiidicioufly endeavoured to 
fhow theprobable longevity of the tapeworm, by extrafts 
from an authentic hiftory of a tsenia preferved in the col¬ 
lection of Mr. Hunter. The data are as follow : Marian 
Burgoin, a native of Laufanne in Swilferland, at the age 
of fourteen years, was affefted with pains in her ftomach 
and head, rigors, &c. which fymptoms continued and 
were gradually increafed. At the age of nineteen (lie 
came to England, and was advifed to take purging me¬ 
dicines, by which file voided a portion of taenia lata, 
the fpecies endemic in her country. She continued -for 
fome years to take draftic purge's, and repeatedly void¬ 
ed portions of this taenia, which were generally about 
two yards in length ; fhe voided, at different times, 
twelve of thefe pieces, but none of them had tiiat ex¬ 
treme joint which is confidered to be the hefd. About 
eight years after her coming'to England, fhe took the 
Swiflerland medicine, and afterwards the head, toge¬ 
ther with a large portion of the animal’s body, were eva¬ 
cuated ; file then perfectly recovered her health. From 
the foregoing hiftory, it is probable that the head of this 
taenia had exifted for the fpace of twelve or thirteen 
years ; or, if fhe had voided a head previous to her arri¬ 
val in this country, we may ftill fuppofe the prefent ani¬ 
mal to have lived eight years, becaufe during this laft 
period the circumftances of her cafe were accurately 
and attentively preferved. 
It is a curious circumftance in the account of this wo¬ 
man, that flie felt herfelf confiderably relieved from all 
her uneafy fymptoms after voiding each portion of this 
taenia ; but in the courfe of three weeks they always re¬ 
turned as before, and were not alleviated until fhe void¬ 
ed another portion. It is therefore alnioft manifeft that 
the body of the taenia was gradually regenerated, after 
each piece above-mentioned had been broken off; and 
that the fymptoms returned and kept pace with the 
growth of the worm ; its extenfion along the alimentary 
canal, and its attachments there, muft have proved a 
fource of irritation proportioned to its length. 
The compiler of the prefent article cannot forbear to 
mention in this placg, the remarkable circumftances of 
a taenia which, for upwards of- twenty years, opprefied 
the health of a patient in the Ille of Wight;—Mr. Peter 
Milligan, a bookfcller, in the town of Newport. How 
long.it might previoufly have had a place in the habit, 
-is uncertain ; but for the fpace of twenty years he was 
confident of the prefence of this companion. Being na¬ 
turally ;of a robuft conftitution, and of a tall athletic 
make, he had long noticed an odd and painful fenfatiou 
in the region of the ftomach, the jejunum, and ileum, 
without complaint, or fufpicion of the caufe. With a 
mind fuperior to the apprehenfions of alarm, he had 
4 T borne 
