An account of hydatids found in the omentum of an axis deer : with observations on their pathological changes : illustrated by an engraving / by John Houston, M.D.

  • Houston, John, M.D.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of hydatids found in the omentum of an axis deer : with observations on their pathological changes : illustrated by an engraving / by John Houston, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ment; and others were so disposed as merely to exhibit a ]jro- jection equally obvious on both surfaces of the omentum. In general, however, they were more prominent on that surface looking forwards to the abdominal parietes, than on that in con- tact with tlie viscera. When the peritoneum was stripped ofF any of the more perfect of these rounded bodies, an operation easily accomplished, as the connexion was only by loose reticu- lar tissue, a capsule presented itself, composed of flattened, white, fibrous bands, (see Plate, Fig. 1,) interlacing and joining with each other, so as to leave between them small, translucid intervals. This capsule did not appear filled to the full extent of its capacity ; and when pinched up between the finger and thumb, felt as if holding widiin it another detached bag, of more delicate organization. On making an incision into any part of the outer tunic, and exerting on it a gentle pressure, that inside dropped out, without sustaining any injury by the separation. Of the two structures, the latter was the cysticercus; the foi'mer the cyst or apartment, which had been developed for its habita- tion. The exterior surface of the hydatid was everywhere in contact with the interior of the cyst, but without any actual * point of adhesion, as both surfaces were lubricated with a fine serous exhalation, in quantity, however, barely sufficient to pre- serve them in a moistened state. As these parasitical animals have been already frequently the subject ol' research and controversy, I shall only speak of their zoological characters as far as the investigations! have been en- abled to make tend to confirm or refute the observations of other writers, and to place the nature of tlie animal in its true light. Naturalists recognize in the cysticercus tenuicoUis a Jiead, neck, body, and caudal vesicle. The liead, in the largest spe- cimens, is not bigger than a millet seed. It appears to the naked eye little more than a transparent vesicle, but when in- spected through a magnifying glass (see Fig. 2,) is found to be complex in its organization and arrangement. It is truncated anteriorly, where it terminates in a circular transparent plane.