Tapeworms are a parasitic organism which lives in the digestive system of their host. Humans have been aware of them since at least 384 b.c, where it was described by Greek philosopher Aristotle. There are several different species, and infection usually happens when a person eats undercooked beef, pork or fish. Fortunately, modern medicines can kill the unwelcome invaders in less than 3 days. However, people throughout history have found rather novel ways of removing them, and in some cases have even swallowed them deliberately.
Diet Fads
During the 1800s, as today, achieving the perfect figure was a high priority for many women. Though many figure altering devices were already available, including the rib-crushing corset and the backside-boosting bustle, dietary aids were a newly emerging market. Joining a host of other worrying Victorian health fads, the use of tapeworms to aid weight loss is perhaps one of the most bizarre. Advertisements for ‘sanitized tapeworms’ began appearing in women’s magazines around 1900, which when swallowed purported to aid weight loss with ‘no ill effects’. Of course, those hosting the unsavoury guest could expect abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and increased appetite alongside their weight loss. It’s difficult to know how popular the diet was, but the practice has not completely faded away. Indeed, many disreputable online clinics still offer tapeworms as a weight loss treatment.
A Curious Patent
Of course, not everyone who had a tapeworm necessarily wanted to keep it, and various methods were used to try and kill or remove them. One of the strangest ideas to emerge was that of the ‘tapeworm trap’, which was patented in 1854 as an alternative to the more standard remedies of powdered tin, calomel, and petroleum. The trap consisted of a small hollow tube made of gold, which was attached to a piece of string. The trap was loaded with cheese and then swallowed by the patient. The cheese would supposedly temp the tapeworm into the stomach, where it would be caught in the trap. The worm could then be pulled out through the mouth.
While the contraption itself was deeply unpleasant, it was also entirely pointless, as tapeworms live in the intestines rather than the highly acidic environment found in the stomach. Needless to say, the contraption did not catch on, partly because as well as patenting the device itself, the inventor, Alpheus Myers also patented the method for its use, meaning he was the only person in the world who was permitted to use it. Not exactly a savvy business strategy.
Record Breaking Parasites
Though improved health and hygiene standards today mean that tapeworm infections are increasingly rare, they do still occur. As the host can often be unaware that they have an uninvited visitor in their gut, tapeworms can often reach extraordinary length before they are discovered. The longest tapeworm removed from a human on record measures a staggering 8.8 metres long (just shy of 29 feet), and is currently on display at the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo.
Sources and Further Reading
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-horrifying-legacy-of-the-victorian-tapeworm-diet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestoda
Morris, T., The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and other Curiosities from the History of Medicine, (2018)
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/meguro-parasitological-museum