The treatment of paralysis depends upon a careful consideration of its cause. The first object should be, as far as possible, to remove any compressing force, and to gradually arouse the torpid portion of the nervous system. In general, more or less depletion will be found beneficial, together with rather active purgation, and nervous stimulants, as ammonia, musk, &c. Blisters to the head and neck are also appropriate. With the debilitated and aged, venesection must be avoided. Stimulant and rubefacient frictions and liniments, the vapour bath, and other like remedies, also frequently prove useful. In local attacks of the disease, as the loss of use of one of the hands, arms, legs, &c., no agent has proved so generally successful as voltaic electricity. For this purpose the current should be in one direction only, and continued uninterruptedly for some time daily. When the direction of the current is alternate, with slight shocks, as in the common coil machine, this agent is of doubtful utility, except for occasional use. In all cases medical aid should be sought as early as possible.
PARANAPH′THALIN. Syn. Anthracen. See Anthracen.
PARAPEC′′TIN. See Pectin.
PAR′ASITES. The parasitical animals that infest the human body are referred to under the heads Acari and Pediculi.
Parasites, Human. The following is a list of the principal parasites infesting man. It is extracted from the ‘Dictionary of Hygiène,’ of Wynter Blyth, who states that he has arranged it, with some slight alterations, from a table in Dr Aitken’s ‘Science and Practice of Medicine.’ The two first divisions include animal parasites, the third vegetable ones. No. 1, or Entozoa, are animal parasites found
inside the human body; No. 2, those found outside; No. 3, consisting of vegetable parasites, comprises Entophyta and Epiphyta, the former existing in the interior, and the latter on the exterior of the human body. Some of the principal parasites have already been described and figured in these pages.
I. Entozoa.
Acephalocystis endogena, liver.
” multifida, brain.
Anchylostomum, seu Sclerostoma duodenale,
intestines.
Anthomia canicularis, intestines.
Ascaris alata ”
” lumbricoides ”
” mystax ”
Bilharzia seu Distoma hæmatobia, portal and
venous system.
Bothriocephalus cordatus, intestines.
” latus ”
Cysticercus cellulosæ, seu telæ cellulosæ (C. of
Tenia solium), muscles.
Cysticercus of Tæniæ marginata (C. tenuicollis),
intestines.
Dactylius aculeatus, urinary bladder.
Diplosoma crenatus.
Distoma seu Distomum crassum, duodenum.
” hepaticum seu Fasciola hepatica, gallbladder.
” heterophryes, intestines.
” lanceolatum, hepatic duct ” oculi humani seu ophthalmobium,
capsule of crystalline.
Ditrachycerus rudus, intestines.
Echinococcus hominis (hydatid of Tænia echinococcus),
liver, spleen, and omentum.
Filaria bronchialis seu trachealis, bronchial
glands.
” seu dracunculus medinensis, skin and
areolar tissue.
” sanguinis hominis, blood.
” oculi seu lentis, eye.
Hexathrydium pinguicola, ovary.
” venarum, venous system.
Monostoma lentis, crystalline.
Œstrus hominis, intestines.
Oxyuris vermicularis, ”
Pentastoma constrictum, intestines and liver.
” denticulatum, intestines.
Polystroma pinguicola, ovary.
” sanguicola seu verarum, venous
system.
Spiroptera hominis, urinary bladder.
Strongylus seu Eustrongylus bronchialus, bronchial
tubes.
” seu Eustrongylus gigas (Acarus
renalis), kidney and intestines.
Tænia acanthotrias, intestines.
” elliptica, ”
” flavopuncta, ”
” lophosoma, ”
” mediocanellata, ”
” nana, intestines and liver.
” solium, intestines.
Tetrastoma renale,
kidney.
Trichina spiralis, muscles.
Tricocephalus dispar, intestines.
II. Ectozoa.