On the present state of our knowledge respecting entozoa, which are either known or are presumed to be introduced into thehuman body by the consumption of animal food / by T. Spencer Cobbold.

  • Cobbold, T. Spencer (Thomas Spencer), 1828-1886.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the present state of our knowledge respecting entozoa, which are either known or are presumed to be introduced into thehuman body by the consumption of animal food / by T. Spencer Cobbold. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    to the head of the worm, then, to a certain extent, we find a correspondency. Practically, the most important consideration to be borne in mind lies in the fact that the presence of the tcenia mediocanellata within the human body is owing to persons eating veal or beef in an imperfectly cooked state. On the whole, the prevalence of this formidable parasite amongst us is perhaps less marked than obtains in the case of thetcBnia solium; nevertheless, the relative difference of frequency is not so great as has been su})jx)sed. Admitting occasional exceptions, we may say that the hooked tapeworm derived from pork commonly infests the poor, w'hilst the hookless tapeworm obtained from veal and beef infests the rich. This circumstance accords with the general habits of the people; for the lower classes subsist chiefly upon pork, whilst the wealthier prefer mutton, veal, aiul roast beef. Thus it also necessarily happens that the prevalence of either tapeworm in any given neighbourhood, or amongst any race of jreople, or in any particular region of the habitaltle glolte, will bear a strict relation to the flesh-eating habits of the community. If all partake of meat subjected to a temperature of 212 Fahrenheit, all are safe from invasion ; but if, on the contrary, the meat be only incompletely cooked, then the development of these parasites will be efficiently promoted. There may be some persons whose strangely-constituted minds permit them to believe that, since “all creatures have been called into existence for wise purpo.ses,” we ought not to destroy these interesting parasites. Such benevolent persons, to be consistent, should resolve never to eat their meat thoroughly cooked ; for, by following this rule, they will probably sooner or later enjoy the privilege of entertaining a clitss of “guests” who arc sure to make their presence felt. If, on the other hand, a penalty were iinjKjsed upon all pcrsfms par- taking of raw or underdone meat, then the human tapeworms would rapidly become extinct. The enthusiastic helminthologist might perhaps in this case be found lamenting the extinction of certain peculiar forms of animal life, whilst the result would at the same time supply the advocates of “natural selection” with a somewhat novel mode of accounting for the rather abrupt termination of the career of the7JM/’ so-called “ fortunate ” species towards which all are still acting the part of host. SilEKP.—1 have already incidentally alluded to the possil)ility of mutton harbouring the larva* of one of our human tapeworms. We all know that the sheep supplies the larva* of two tape- worms which infest the dog, and also that it is itself invade<l by several other parasites in the sexually mature condition,—such, for example, as the liver-fluke {yasciola luqmtica) and the lung-worm {stroiif/]/hisJi/aria). For the present 1 am only {)repared to