short story...

[genephillips]

i was reading some book of short horror stories a long time ago and i came across this story i thought was very interesting because it's partly based on fact. it takes place sometime back in the victorian era at a time when a special diet pill was being marketed and supposedly, unbeknownst to those who used them, they contained tapeworm eggs. anyway, the story is about a lady who's trying unsuccessfully to lose some weight when she hears about these pills and decides to give it a try. at first it seems to be having the desired effect but it doesn't stop. over time she keeps losing more and more weight until she becomes so emaciated and malnourished that she dies. shortly after, people walking by the cemetery start reporting strange noises coming from her tomb and finally the authorities and the lady's family decide they should go check it out. they inspect the tomb and don't see anything wrong but decide to look in the coffin just in case. when they open it they get the shock of their lives; where she once lay there's a giant tapeworm. it has completely devoured her. they take it out and burn it and that's the end. is anyone else here familiar with this story? if so, do you know if there's been a film adaptation of it? i always thought this could make a really creepy installment in a horror anthology.

[mattjk_17]

I've never heard of it until just now, and I don't know if there's been a film or short story of it, but it sounds sweet as hell!

[PhantomOfTheParadise]

Actually all that stuff about the "tape worm diet" is a VERY old urban legend. In fact, if I'm correct, it never happened. Another tale was that if you starved yourself and held a bowl of milk before your mouth, the worm would get hungry and climb out...but tapeworms don't have that good sensory perception, ring worms do, but not tapeworms.

[Irish13]

Damn phantom you sure know alot about worms. Anyway I`ve never heard the story, but it sounds cool!

[Antonio]

That story would make an excellent urban legend!

[Mr. Movie Man]

That's disgusting. Anything involving worms is nasty. I'd still like to see it though.

[malaria]

There was a story that if you waved a lump of steak in front of your nose they would surface which is totally ridiculous since tapeworms reside in the intestines not the stomach.
I love your story with the graveyard though genephillips.
Anyway here's something my cousin told me which all you diet enthusiasts should be aware of:
My cousin works in food science and he told me of a time when he and his mates left an open can of "Slim-fast" on a radiator. A couple of days later they noticed the can was absolutely teeming with maggots.
Makes you wonder how these diet-drinks work doesn't it?