PATHOLOGY AND PRACTICE OP MEDICINE.
king’s college hospital.
Continued Success of the Kousso in promoting the Expulsion of the
Tape-worm.—In former numbers of the Lancet, (March 16, 1850, and
April 20, 1850,) cases were noticed in which the Kousso was found
very efficacious for procuring the expulsion of the tsenia solium. This
plant is now acknowledged to be so useful in tape-worm, that it seems
almost unnecessary to adduce new cases; we shall, however, just
sketch a few of those which were la ely benefited by the Kousso, as
they present various features of interest.
The first case, as taken from Mr. Jordan’s notes, runs as follows:—
Rebecca R., aged 22, is a native of Wapping; she went to Devonport
when seven years of age, but only stayed there about a fortnight; with
this exception she has constantly lived in town, generally at Wapping,
but about eighteen months ago she spent a year at Peckham. Patient’s
sister, who has been dead nine years, also suffered from tape-worm,
which remained upon her to the time of her death. Patient likewise
knows of a neighbor of hers in Wapping, close to her own home, who
suffers from the taenia. This latter person and the above-mentioned
sister are the only people she knows to be thus affected. The water is
supplied by the New River Company’ to the whole neighborhood.
Patient was quite healthy’ until about two years ago, since which
time she has had great pain in the side and stomach; her appetite was
good, but she used to feel sick on first getting up ; she had, however, no
idea that she harbored a tape-worm until a week before Christmas,
when she first passed joints of it, and from that period, such joints have
been passed almost every day.
Twice since she first noticed the joints she has passed long pieces of
the worm, once after opening medicine, the other time without any
such agency. She has never taken any turpentine nor any other remedy
expressly for the worm.
Patient was admitted under the care of Dr. Budd, and took the
Kousso at half-past nine in the morning, the day after her admission;
and, after taking a dose of castor oil in the middle of the day, the worm
was passed with a motion a*, a quarter to five in the afternoon. This
entozoon was nearly three yards in length, and the narrow segments
approaching to the head were attached to it, though not the head itself.
The medicine gave patient a slight feeling of sickness, which soon went
off again. Her appetite was bad on the day she took the Kousso, and
she felt weak. With the exception of the tape-worm patient seems to
have generally had good health; she has only a slight cough. Her
mother and sister died of phthisis, but patient’s appearance is remark-
ably florid and healthy. The day after admission, this woman left
the hospital in good condition, without passing any more of the
worm.
The second case was admitted under the care of Dr. Todd. The
subject is a young woman, native of Scotland, four months advanced in
pregnancy. She complained to Mr. Steele, the house-physician, that
she was in the habit of passing long round worms, but when she
brought the joint, which she had lately evacuated, they were found to
be pieces of the taenia solium. When the nature of the worm was
ascertained, the patient was admitted into the house, and took the
Kousso in the morning; at seven in the evening she went home, and a
quarter of an hour after she had reached her residence, she passed five
yards of the worm.
The third case was sent to Dr. Todd from the country. The patient
is a middle-aged woman, residing at Bow, who took the Kousso at
three o’clock in the afternoon, and left the house immediately after-
wards, promising to bring the worm as soon as she should evacuate it.
The next morning she brought a tape-worm measuring about-six yards
in length.
The fourth case, who was admitted under the care of Dr. Budd, is
that of a man, about 46. His health has, in general, been pretty good;
last winter, however, he was attacked by cholera, and treated in King’s
College Hospital. Whilst laboring under this disease, patient did not
pass any joints of the tape-worm, though previous to his being visited
by the epidemic he had now and then evacuated portions of the taenia.
When convalescent, he took some oil of turpentine, and by the agency
of this medicine he voided a few joints. From that period he continued
passing joints, and was admitted under the care of Dr. Budd, May 3,
1850. Patient took the Kousso in the morning, and had two doses of
house medicine in the course of the day. At six o’clock in the evening,
he passed a tape-worm of a very great length, since it measured nearly
ten yards. The next day he voided a piece, six inches long, which
came evidently from very near the head. It is to be regretted, as we
stated before, that this medicine is so expensive; still, when it is con-
sidered how rapidly and effectually it promotes the evacuation of the
taenia, the 17s. Qd. can hardly be looked upon as a high price ; the
more so, as in hospital practice, the patients need stay in the house but
a short time. It will be extremely interesting to keep an eye upon
these patients, in order to ascertain whether the benefit is of a lasting or
temporary kind.—Lancet.