The memoir by Giacomini already quoted (p. [65]) affords interesting details respecting a case in which there was a most unusual degree of infection of the human body by Cysticerci. Dr Giacomini instituted a searching comparison between the human measles procured by himself and those of the pig sent to him by Professor Perroncito. In the human Cysticerci he noticed a greater adherence of the capsule to the enclosed measle, and he also observed that while the human measle-heads either displayed thirty-two, or in some few cases thirty-four hooks, in two differently sized circles of fifteen or sixteen each, the pig-measles, on the other hand, carried only twenty-four hooks to the double circle of equal circumference; consequently the hooks appeared to be more crowded together in the human parasite. This fact, Giacomini remarks, does not of itself constitute an essential specific difference, since variations of the kind not unfrequently occur in Cysticerci occupying one and the same host. Even the beef-measle is not necessarily confined to one species of host, since Zenker has succeeded in rearing it in a goat.
Although the substance of the above-recorded conclusions was originally communicated by me, anonymously, to a professional periodical, I have considered this work a suitable medium for a fuller discussion of the subject. Its importance in relation to the public health and the supply of meat-food has not received the attention it deserves.
Bibliography (No. 13).—Balert, B., ‘Die Bandwürmer,’ &c. (pamphlet), 1877.—Bertolus, G., ‘Diss. sur les metamorph. des cestoïdes,’ Montpellier, 1856.—Cobbold, T. S., “On the Production of the so-called ‘Acute Cestode Tuberculosis’ by the Administration of the Proglottides of Tænia mediocanellata” (with Mr Simonds), in ‘Proc. of the Royal Society’ for May 4th, 1865; repr. in the ‘Veterinarian’ for 1865, p. 513.—Idem, “Experimental Investigations with Cestoid Entozoa,” in ‘Linn. Soc. Journ.,’ vol. ix, p. 170; also for July, 1865, p. 141.—Idem, “On Beef, Pork, and Mutton, in relation to Tapeworms,” in ‘Brit. Assoc. Rep.’ for 1865, p. 102, and in ‘Appendix to Treatise on Tapeworms and Threadworms,’ 1st Edit., 1866, p. 73; also in ‘Med. Times and Gaz.’ for Sept. 23rd, 1865, p. 343.—Idem, “Remarks on Entozoa,” in ‘Brit. Assoc. Rep.’ for 1865, p. 102; also on “Cystic Entozoa from Veal and Mutton,” in the ‘Path. Soc. Trans.’ for 1866, vol. xvii, p. 462.—Idem, “Entozoa found in a Westphalian Ham;” report in ‘Athenæum’ for March 27th, 1869, p. 442; also in ‘Brit. Med. Journ.’ for March 20th, 1869.—Idem, “Note on Beef Measles from a Cow,” in ‘Path. Soc. Trans.,’ vol. xvii, p. 463, 1866; also in the ‘Lancet’ for Feb. and August, 1865, p. 249.—Idem, ‘Entozoa,’ &c., p. 235 et seq., 1864; and in ‘Supp.,’ sections iii, iv, v, 1869.—Idem, ‘Tapeworms,’ 3rd Edit. (with 100 cases), 1875, p. 11.—Idem, ‘Manual of the Internal Par. of Domesticated Animals,’ chap. iii to vi, 1874.—Idem, ‘Worms,’ Lectures i to xi, 1872.—Idem, “On the Parasites of our Food-producing Ruminants (Cantor Lectures),” in the ‘Journ. of the Soc. of Arts,’ 1871.—Idem, “On the Entozoa of Abyssinia” (Lecture), in ‘Lancet,’ 1867.—Idem, “Remarks on Eighty Cases of Tapeworm,” ‘Lancet,’ June, 1874.—Idem, “Revised List of Entozoa, with notes and references (the beef tapeworm, No. 15, and the beef measle, No. 25),” in the ‘Veterinarian,’ Dec., 1874, and Feb., 1875.—Idem, (anonymously), “Cysticerci, being a review of the writings of Pellizzari, Tommasi, Perroncito, Lewis, Giacomini, &c.,” contributed to the ‘Lond. Med. Record,’ 1874, p. 642 et seq.; repr. in the ‘Veterinarian,’ Jan., 1875.—Idem, “Notice of a Discussion by Paul, Martineau, Créquy, Delioux de Savignac, Trasbot, and others, respecting the Source and Treatment of Tapeworm,” ‘Lond. Med. Rec.,’ July, 1874, p. 472.—Idem, “Review of the Writings of Oliver, Fleming, Hewlett, Lewis, and others, on the Cystic Disease of Animals,” ‘Lond. Med. Rec.,’ June, 1873, p. 339.—Idem, “Further Experimental Researches with the Eggs of the Beef Tapeworm,” the ‘Veterinarian,’ Aug., 1875.—Idem, “Remarks on Perroncito’s Researches,” the ‘Veterinarian,’ Dec., 1877.—Dardel, A., “Sulla frequenza della Tenia in Savoia,” ‘Giorn. d’Accad. di Med.,’ 1868.—Davaine, C., ‘Traité’ (1. c. Bibl. No. 1), 1860.—Idem, “Les Cestoides,” in ‘Dict. Encyclopédique des Sci. Med.,’ 1875.—Fleming, J., ‘Indian Med. Gaz.,’ 1869.—Fock, H. C. A. L., ‘De Lintworm en het middel om hem mit te drijven,’ Utrecht, 1878.—Fritsch, G., “Zur differentiellen Diagnose von T. solium and T. mediocanellata,” ‘Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift,’ 1874.—Gamgee, J., “Entozoa in Veal and Beef” (Letter on), ‘Lancet,’ 1865.—Giacomini, C., ‘Sul Cyst. cell. hominis e sull Tænia med, contrib. alla studio dei Cestoidi Parrassiti dell’ Uomo,’ Torino, 1874.—Heller, A., “Darmschmarotzer,” in von Ziemssen’s ‘Handbuch der speciellen Pathol. und Therapie,’ s. 598 et seq., 1876.—Hewlett, ‘Health Officer’s Report,’ Bombay, 1870.—Krabbe, H., ‘Beretning om 100 Tilfælde af Bœndellorm hos Menesket iagttagne her i Landet (Aftryk af Ugeskrift for Læger),’ 1869.—Küchenmeister, F., ‘Ueber Cestoden im Allgemeinen und die des Menschen insbesondere, hauptsählich mit Berücksichtigung ihrer Entwickelungsgeschichte, geographischen Verbreitung, Prophylaxe und Abtreibung; specieller Theil. Zittau,’ 1853.—Idem, ‘Parasiten’ (1. c. Bibl. No. 1), 1855, Eng. Edit., London, 1857.—Laboulbéne, A., “Sur les Tænias,” ‘Mém. de la Soc. Méd. des Hôpit.,’ 1876.—Idem, ‘Anat. Pathologique,’ 1879, p. 962.—Letheby, “On Diseased Meat,” ‘Med. Times and Gaz.,’ 1867.—Leuckart, R., ‘Die Menschl. Par.,’ Bd. i, s. 285 and s. 747, 1864.—Levi, “Della freq. della tenia,” &c., ‘Giorn. Veneto di Scienz. Med.,’ 1874.—Lewis, T. K., “A Report on the Bladder Worms found in Beef and Pork” (‘App. B. to 8th Ann. Rep. of the Sanit. Commiss. with the Gov. of India’), Calcutta, 1872.—Masse, E. et Pourquier, P., “Le Tænia inerme et la lardrerie du Bœuf, Nouvelles Expériences,” &c., in ‘Montpellier Med. Journ. Mens. de Méd.,’ p. 220, 1876.—Mosler, ‘Helminthogische studien und Beobachtungen,’ Berlin, 1864. Neill, A., “Letter, forming the fifth of a series of important articles on Cyst-infected Cattle, and on the prevalence of Cysticercus in Beef,” reported by the Inspector General (I. M. D.), in the ‘Madras Monthly Journ. of Med. Sci.,’ Feb., 1873; repr. in the ‘Veterinarian,’ July, 1873.—Nitsche, H., “Untersuchungen ueber den Bau der Tænien,” ‘Sieb. und Köll. Zeitschrift,’ 1873.—Oliver, “Rejections of Ration Beef on account of Cystic Disease” (l. c. supra), ‘7th Rep. of the Commiss.,’ p. 82, Calcutta, 1871.—Perroncito E., “Della panicatura negli animali,” ‘Annali della R. Accad. d’Agricolt. di Torino,’ vol. xv, 1872.—Idem, “Sulla morte del Cyst. cell. delle carni del majale;” ibid., 1872.—Idem, “Ueber die Lebenszähigkeit des Cyst. cell. und anderer Eingeweidewürmer,” ‘Zeitsch. f. prakt. Veter.-Wissenschaften,’ Bern, 1876.—Idem, ‘Della Grandine o Panicatura nell’ Uomo e negli animali,’ Torino, 1877.—Idem, “Esperimenti sulla produzione del cisticerco nelli carni del bovini, coll’ amministrazione di anelli della tænia med. dell’ uomo,” ‘Lo Studente Vet.,’ Parma, 1876, p. 146.—Idem, “Sulla tenacita,” &c., ibid., 1877, p. 194.—Idem, “Esperimenti sulla prod. del Cyst. della T. med. nelle carni dei Vitelli,” ‘Estr. della Annali d. R. Accad. d’Agric. di Torino,’ vol. xx, 1877.—Idem, “On the Tenacity of Life of the Helminths, and their corresponding Larval Forms in Man and Animals,” the ‘Veterinarian,’ July, 1877, p. 457.—Idem (with similar title, including notice of experiments), the ‘Veterinarian,’ Dec., 1877; partly from ‘Osservatore Gaz. d. Cliniche di Torino,’ and from ‘Archivvo per le Sci. Med.,’ vol. i, 1877.—Idem, “On the Tenacity of Life of the Cysticercus in the flesh of Oxen, and on the rapid development of the corresponding T. mediocanellata in the Human Body,” the ‘Veterinarian,’ Dec., 1877, p. 817.—Probstmayr, ‘Jahrb. der Münchener Thierarzneischule,’ 1869.—Rochard, “Note sur la fréquence du Tænia mediocanellata en Syrie, et sur la présence du cysticerque qui lui donne naissance, dans la chaire musculaire des bœufs de ce pays,” in ‘Bulletin de l’Acad. de Méd.,’ 1877, tom. vi, p. 998.—Thudichum, J. W. L., “On the Parasitic Diseases of Quadrupeds used as Food,” ‘Privy Council Med. Officer’s Rep.’ 1865.—Sommer, F., “Ueber den Bau und die Entwickelung der Geschlechtsorgane, von Tænia mediocanellata und T. solium,” in ‘Siebold and Köll. Zeitschrift,’ Bd. xxiv, s. 499, 1874.—St Cyr, “Deux Experiences,” &c., ‘Journ. de l’Anatomie, de Robin,’ p. 504; and in ‘Lond. Med. Rec.,’ by Higgs, vol. i, 582, 1873.—Tommasi, T., ‘Appendice (to Cobbold’s) Parasiti Interni degli Animali Domestice,’ p. 161, Firenze, 1874.—Van Beneden, P. J., “Iconographie des Helminthes ou des vers parasites de l’homme” (Vers Cestoïdes, pl. ii), Louvain, 1860.—Welch, F. H., “Observations on the Anatomy of Tænia mediocanellata,” ‘Quart. Journ. of Microsc. Science,’ vol. xv, 1875.—Zenker, in ‘S. B. Soc.,’ Erlang. iv, s. 71.—Zurn, ‘Zoopathologische und physiol. Untersuchungen,’ 1872.
Tænia solium, Linneus.—This cestode was formerly known as the common tapeworm, but in England it is of far less frequent occurrence than the beef tapeworm. In contradistinction it is best to speak of it as the pork tapeworm. Though only one specimen is usually present, the bearer may entertain several worms of this species at one and the same time. The parasite has been known to science from the earliest times, though possibly not earlier than the measles, or Cysticerci, from which it originates. Hippocrates, Pliny, and Aristotle describe the full-grown worm; and, in regard to the larvæ, some have gone so far as to express their belief that the prohibition of swine’s flesh as food amongst the Jews and other Oriental people, was dictated by sanitary considerations. Weinland has suggested that the Mosaic commandment not to eat pork may have originated in an old popular notion “of the fact that tapeworm sometimes comes from this food.” Weinland’s hypothesis is probably correct, for if one supposes Moses to have been supernaturally informed that pork would produce tapeworm disease, one naturally asks why veal and beef should not also have been prohibited, seeing that these meats also frequently harbour tapeworm larvæ.
A perfect pork tapeworm presents itself to the eye of the observer as a long, soft, white, jointed strobile, which, when alive, elongates and contracts itself with facility. Though commonly spoken of as a single creature, it is a compound of many individuals. These are variously called “cucurbitini,” “zooids,” “proglottides,” “segments,” “links,” or “joints.” When fully grown the segments are capable of detaching themselves and of enjoying a free and independent existence. Very annoying it is to the human bearer to be continually reminded of his unwelcome “guests” as they seek to quit his interior.
The head of Tænia solium is seldom seen in anatomical museums, although the evacuation of pork tapeworms is not of rare occurrence. Placed under the microscope, the head displays a quantity of dark, almost black, pigment granules, which are abundant at the base of the rostellum and in the neighbourhood of the hook-fangs. They are equally present and abundant in the pork measle proper, and in measles derived from the human subject. The cephalic hooks of this cestode are comparatively large, those of the greater circle individually measuring 1/156″, whilst the smaller hooks have a length of about 1/220″.
Fig. 23.—Head of Tænia solium. Highly magnified. After Van Beneden.
The male reproductive organ consists of a number of small vesicles or sacs, in which filiform spermatozoa have been detected, these latter, when ripe, being conducted by a vas deferens into a seminal pouch, from which a canal passes laterally into the penis; the latter organ, in its retracted condition, being lodged within a flask-shaped sheath or cirrhus-pouch. The female organs are somewhat more complicated. They consist of two masses of vitelligene glands occupying a limited space, a small ovarium, a centrally-placed and largely-developed branched uterus, canals of outlet leading from all these organs, and enlargements of the main passages to form internal seminal reservoirs; also, a vaginal canal, which is widened at its termination to form a receptaculum for the curved penis.