Volume 1

On animal and vegetable parasites of the human body : a manual of their natural history, diagnosis, and treatment / by Dr. Frederich Küchenmeister ; translated from the second German edition, by Edwin Lankester.

  • Küchenmeister, Friedrich, 1821-1890.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On animal and vegetable parasites of the human body : a manual of their natural history, diagnosis, and treatment / by Dr. Frederich Küchenmeister ; translated from the second German edition, by Edwin Lankester. 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.

    35/498 (page 9)
    in the mucus of the teeth. Lebeaume described the tartar of the teeth as the habitation and product of these Infusoria, and considered the tartar as a polypary; and Mandl even Comptes rendus de TAcad, des Sciences/ tome xvii, p, 213) supposed the tartar to be produced by the aggregation of calcareous remains of bacillar Vibriones (Leeuvvenhoek^s Bacillaria:) from the mucus of the mouth. The latter were said to occur in large quantities, especially in the coating of the tongue, when the diet was hard and non-stimulant, as Avell as in cases of deranged digestion, but to be destroyed by heat, muriatic acid, and spirituous beverages. R.Ficinus makes the following statement (' Journ. der Chirurgie und Augenheilkunde von Walther und Ammon,^ Bd. 36, or new series, Bd. 6, 1847, p. 4) regarding the animal structures in the dental mucus. In the yellowish-white dental mucus, amongst the peculiar filaments of Leeuwenhoek and Biihlmann (Miiller^s ' Archiv,^ 1840), closely aggregated, very small granules, epithelial cells, and mucus-globules, make their appearance in various quantities, and sometimes single Infusoria which have accidentally got into the mouth with food and drink. In the interstices re- maining between the granular substance, especially on the addition of water or saliva, we see an extraordinary quantity of small, roundish, and longish corpuscles, which are only visible with high magnifying powers, which move about briskly with a revolving motion, remain restlessly on particular granules or filaments, or move about upon them, lay themselves on one side, or vibrate, attaching themselves by one end, and acquire a conical form. These are automatic movements of an animal nature, independent of currents or molecular movements, and perfectly resemble movements in search of nourishment. The form of the body of these animalcules appears to be an ellipsoid, divided in the middle by a slight constriction, like a bean. Their trans- verse diameter amounts to 0-00005—8, and their longitudinal diameter to 0-00016—20 Par. The animalcule is met with par- ticularly in the vertical position, when it appears as a globule of —T5oo' Par., and on account of this figure it was regarded by Eisenmann as a Monas Lens. More rarely it is seen in a horizontal position. When moving quietly the form of its body may be more distinctly recognised, when it has approached objects which offer it nourishment. Then we sometimes see, in the constriction at the middle of the body, a lip-like elevation, below which Ficinus supposed the oral opening to be situated, if the animal- cule be not destitute of a mouth.