within 12 hours (namely, by 6 p. m.) after the first dose of thymol (which is given at 6 a. m.). Two groups of cases, each with three subgroups, may be compared. In the first group are found 58 cured male cases, arranged in three subgroups according to the preponderance of male worms, equal number of males and females, and preponderance of female worms. Of these 58 patients, 18 cases (or 31 per cent) showed more male. (59 per cent) than female (40 per cent) hookworms; 5 cases (8 per cent) have an equal number of male and female worms; 35 cases (60 per cent) have an excess of females. Thus, on a basis of these cases, the chances are about 6 out of 10 that there will be an excess of females, but this percentage is not high enough to put to any practical account in determining, by counting the males and females collected, whether or not the patient is entirely freed from his worms. In fact, the labor involved would be much greater, more tedious, and more disagreeable than the labor involved in making a new microscopic examination a few days later. The 18 cases with an excess of males showed 1,378 worms, 821 of which (or 59 per cent) were males, and 557 of which (or 40 per cent) were females. The 5 cases with equal number of male and female worms were all light infections, averaging only 11.6 worms each. The 35 cases with more females than males showed 6,524 1 worms, 2,797 of which (or 43 per cent) were males, and 3,727 of which (or 57 per cent) were females. 1 Of the total 7,960 worms collected from the 58 cases, 3,647 specimens (or 45 per cent) were males, and 4,313 specimens (or 54 per cent) were females. In respect to number of worms present, the cases with equal males and females averaged the smallest number of worms (11), those with an excess of males came next (76), and those with an excess of females came next (186). The average was 137 worms. Thus, in general, the heaviest infections were those with the largest number of females, but this is not of much significance since only 9 of the 35 female-excess cases were above the average (139) in number of worms present, while 2 of the 18 male-excess cases were above the average. The "cured" cases are given in the following table. 1 Plus 26 worms, the sex of which was not determined. * "Cured" means that later microscopic examination was negative. Tabulation of 58 cured male hospital cases according to total number of worms and (hence the cure was incomplete), or through failure to obtain specimens the completeness or incompleteness of the cure was left in doubt. Of these 44 cases, 19 patients (or 43 per cent) showed an excess of males; there was a total of 2,738 worms, 1,468 of which (or 53 per cent) were males and 1,270 of which (or 46 per cent) were females. These percentages are not very different from those of the corresponding cured cases. Of the 44 cases, 4 patients (or 9 per cent) showed an equal number of males and females. All were light infections, averaging only 10.5 worms each. Of the 44 cases, 21 patients (or 47 per cent) showed an excess of females; of a total of 2,340 worms, 1,001 specimens (or 42 per cent) were males, and 1,339 specimens (or 57 per cent) were females. The cases in question are tabulated as follows: Tabulation of 44 male hospital cases, some with incomplete cure, some without final data as to cure, arranged according to total number of worms and preponderance of sex of parasites. A. NINETEEN CASES WITH EXCESS OF MALES. Tabulation of 44 male hospital cases, some with incomplete cure, some without final data as to cure, arranged according to total number of worms and preponderance of sex of parasites-Continued. Comparing these statistics with the sex statistics of the cured cases, it is not evident that the proportion of the sexes gives us any practical clue to the question whether our patient is or is not cured. Combining the two sets of statistics we have the following table: Proportion of male and of female worms passed in different treatments of 58 cases. The following 58 cases of complete cures give data as to sex of parasites passed in successive treatments: A. FORTY-THREE CASES CURED IN ONE TREATMENT. |