knowledge that these minute animals raife our ideas, to the knowledge of the Creator of the universe. Had they no other ufe but that of enabling us to go back to the firft caufe, would not we have reafon to conclude that thofe infects which we confider as noxious are of infinite ufe to the man who is willing to contemplate the works of God?

In order to manifeft his dominion over infects God ordained that the first fruits of honey fhould be prefented to him. He did not defire it as an of fering by fire, but he required it to be placed on the altar, as an oblation of firit fruits for a fweet favour. LEV. ii. 11. 12. We find also that the Hebrews acquitted themselves of this duty, and that they offered the first fruits of honey. "The Children of Ifrael," (fays the author of the second Book of Chronicles," brought in abundance, the first fruits of corn, wine and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field."

Infects are a fcourge in the hand of God to chaftife. the wicked. "The vengeance of the wicked, fays the fon of Sirach," is fire and the worm."ECCLES. vii. 17. Accordingly he threatens those who refuse to obey his will, to employ infects to punifh them for their difobedience. Thus Moles expreffes himself on the fame fubje&t. Thou fhalt carry much feed out into the field, and fhalt gather but little in, for the locuft fhall confume it. Thou fhalt plant vineyards and drefs them, but fhalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms fhall eat them." DEUTR. xxiii, 38, 39.

Experience has often juftified the accomplishment of this threat. There is no creature how defpicable foever it may be, of which God cannot form armies fuperior to all the force of man, and capable Сс

of

of chastifing the wicked in a dreadful manner, Men can oppofe and refift armies of men; but they cannot face an army of infects. In vain would they employ against fuch an hoft their most formidable weapons; neither fire nor the fword could avail. The vileft infects have been known to take poffeffion of a country, and to banish the inhabitants.

CHA P. III.

OF THE USE OF INSECTS IN JURISPUDENCE:

As a good or a bad ufe may be made of infects, Magiftrates have been obliged to make laws to regulate their poffeffion. Lawyers, confidering the advantages obtained by Bees, have made certain regulations to fecure the poffeffion of them to the proprietors. Although they fly hither and thither to procure their food, the property in them, remains to the poffeffor of the hive. When they fwarm they belong to him as long as he can follow them, and prove that they are his. This is the decifion of the Roman Law. That of the Saxon code is quite different. The proprietor lofes the poffeffion of them as foon as they are out of the hive. Some lawyers pretend however that the law permits the proprietor to follow the fwarm and to take it on the poffeffion of his neighbour; but if he

neglect

neglect to purfue it, it becomes the property of him who feizes it. Whoever steals a hive is punished

with death.

Lawyers have alfo examined this question, whether a tenant who in his contract has renounced in general terms all accidents, is obliged to fupport the lofs caused by an army of locufts, or if the Lord of the Manor ought to fuftain it? It has been decided thus. If the accident which happens, is of fuch a nature that it could neither be forefeen nor prevented, the Lord of the Manor muft bear the lofs: in every other cafe, the tenant muft fuffer it. Very rigorous laws have likewife been made againft certain perfons wicked enough to poifon their fellow creatures with the hairy caterpillars called Pithyocampæ. Every body knows that when there is an unusual number of caterpillars, locufts or other infects of that kind, it is the duty of the Magiftrate to order their deftruction, and to point out the beft means of accomplishing it. There have been nations that made use of infects to punith criminals. The Jews for inftance, employed either ants or bees in the punishment of adulterers. They put them naked into an ant-hill, or expofed them to the ftings of a fwarm of bees.

CHA P. IV.

OF THE USE OF INSECTS IN MEDECINE,

THE ufe of infects in medecine is not fo common as that of other animals, because Physicians have not

given

given themselves fo much trouble in inveftigating the properties of the former, as they have done with regard to the latter. I flatter myfelf however I fhall be able to fhew that they are not without their tfe in that science.

In vegetable phyfiology for example, there are infects that make the fkeleton of a leaf in the highest degree of perfection; they gnaw and devour the fubftance of it, leaving nothing but the fibres and nerves through which the nourishing juices are conveyed. This operation is fo well performed, that man with all poffible care and pains could hardly imitate it.

Infects are as ufeful in Ofteology. If we wish to have the skeleton of any of the fmaller animals, we have only to take off their skin, anoint them with hơney, and bury them in an ant hill, or expofe them to the voracity of fome other infects. They will, by degrees, eat away the fleth and entrails of those ani mals, and they will remove from the bones, the most minute parts of the flefh which adhere to them. But as they cannot penetrate the tendons, on account of their hardness, these will remain intire, and continue to connect the whole bones to one another. It is thus, that, by the affiftance of infects, we can, without trouble, procure skeletons of all the fmaller ani mals, made with the greatest poffible neatness.

They have likewife contributed to enrich anatomy. It is by means of an Indian infect, called Niua, (Pulex penetrans,) that anatomifts have had an opportunity of difcovering the error of a very general opini on. It was believed formerly, that the blood took its courfe from the extremities of the arteries, to' enter into the veins; but this infect has taught us the contrary. It infinuates itfelf into the fkin, where it

causes

caufes violent pain, if care is not taken to have it removed For this purpose, the Indians pafs, with the greatest circumfpection, a fharp pointed and fine needle, through the pores of the fkin, at the place where this enemy lies hid. Then they turn it in every direction round the tumour, in the midst of which he refides, that they may detach it from the reft of the body, and get it away with the animał himself. When this tumour is examined with a glafs, the infect is feen inclosed in a fort of tranfparent pearl. There are likewife obferved in it, two or three fmall red points, which are the extremities of arteries. Now, if the blood paffed into the veins, by the extremities of the arteries, it would follow, that these red points, fo diftinctly separated, ought to unite, or at least to have fome communication with them. I do not deny all communication between the veins and arteries, but that fort only, which anatomists suppose to be made by anaftomofis. There is another kind, which is 'made by the ramifications of the arteries and veins, and this I admit.

Infects are likewife ufeful in the cure of difeafes. Experience teftifies, that they may be employed advantageoufly, not only for external wounds, but internal diforders. Phyficians dry thefe little animals in the air, or fome of their parts, reduce them to powder, and give them to their patients in a convenient vehicle, or made into the form of confection, or conferve. Some digeft them in oil, and make a balfam of them; others kill them in oil of olives, and use the oil. Some diftill them while recent, which extracts a water from them, and reduces the reft to afhes, from which laft is drawn, by means of the firft water, a fixed falt. Different reafons may be given for the virtues contained in thefe little ani mals. One, that the falt they yield, is more penetrating, and more volatile than that of others; that

they