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fuppurations fimilar to thofe formed by the cautery, from having torn away these infects inconfiderately from their legs.

Let us proceed to other infects which like moles glide under the fkin, and vex and torment us without the fmallet remiffion. In the Eaft Indies there is a fort of worm known by the name of Culebrilla; its head and tail are extremely flender and acute. It is nearly a yard in length, aud its body is as fmall as the ftring of a guitar. This animal gets between the skin and the flesh, and there occafions a tumour, of the fize of a small bean. Although it caufes neither fever nor pain, it is exceedingly troublesome. At every time it ftirs the perfon feels fomething difagreeable to which it is not poffible for him to accuftom himself. The inhabitants of Brazil fuffer much from a fpecies of infect called Nigua, which pierces the skin, penetrates deep into the flesh, and there infallibly caufes gangrene, unless by fuitable remedies, applied in time, thefe dangerous effects are prevented. The itch is caused by infects as well as other cutaneous difeafes. Lice caufe a disease which in the opinion of Blancard, happens generally to perfons to whom fome other has communicated a great number of thefe infects at once. In proportion as they feed they excite an itching; the hand fcratching the place where they are makes wounds which fuppurate, and become fo many receptacles proper for nourishing the young vermin, which penetrate further and further, and entring at one place go out at another. Their immense multiplication convinces me that they can penetrate every part of the human body, and fo infinuate themselves, that it is impoffible to get rid of them, at least, there have been inftances where many people have been delivered from them only by death. But I fee nothing fupernatural in this dif eafe, although Hiftory would teach us that it has Ff

always

always been a chaftifement referved for monsters of cruelty and avarice.

We cannot reasonably doubt that infects are the caufe of many difeafes. Some phyficians have even carried the matter fo far as to fuppofe that worms were the caufe of all the diforders mankind are liable

Sturmius maintains that the air is filled with an infinite number of the germs of man, and other animals, fo that at each infpiration we inhale a prodigious quantity of them; and unless they transpire through the pores, they engender corruption which is the origin of all difeafes. A phyfician of Paris maintains, that the gout and other diseases which attack the patient in different parts are owing to certain worms which puncture the nerves, fometimes on one fide, and fometimes on another. He has not thought it enough to publifh his fyftem, but in a particular treatife has pointed out fpecific remedies, and among the reft mentions another fort of worms which, he fays, are an excellent antidote. He avers that they are to be found in plants and minerals, that they must be extracted by means of water, and that after the patient has drunk of this water, the worms it contains will devour thofe which had produced his difeafe, and thus cure him. On this fubject there is only one defideratum, and that is to know precifely what worms fo happily contribute to rid us of thofe that are so noxious. This Physician boasts of having obtained the fecret from a man who profeffed his art at Ifpahan. He affures us that he has ftudied it with much care, and that after forty years of obfervation he had reduced it to practice, to the great relief of the afflicted. He adds that this univerfal medecine has not only acquired a great reputation, by the marvellous effects it has produced in many defperate difeafes; but that this precious treasure has coft him a million of livres. If we confult Borrel

lus

fus, we fhall be told that the itch proceeds from infects. A phyfician of Breflaw refers to the fame caufe, the origin of the venereal dife:fe. But let us return to the French phyfician, and follow him in the explanation he gives of the origin of ague. He lays it down as a principle that it arites from a minute febrile animalcule which infinuates itself into the body, either by refpiration or with the food: that fo long as it remains quiet, the perfon enjoys ease: but no fooner does this plague awake, than the fits return, and end not till exhaufted with fatigue he falls again into lethargy. It is the fame with measles, and fmall pox; both confift in a fermentation caufed by worms corrupting the whole mais, of blood. Even the plague is not an exception from this doctrine : it is maintained that this contagious disease take its origin from the fame cause, and that animalcules multiplying to excefs in the air, neceffarily become a general poifon.

Although this fyftem be countenanced by feveral phyficians, I confefs it is with difficulty I fubicribe to it as a fettled truth. I would rather take the fide of of the celebrated Kundmann, whofe words I fhall here ufe." What prodigies might we not expect to fee happen from fuch an hypothefis! There must then

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infallibly be worms of every different species, and "each difeafe would have its own; worms for fever, "worms for the cramp; worms for hysterics;

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worms for flatulency, which probably would not "refemble thofe for tumour, and which undoubted46 ly would difcover themselves by the noise they "would excite in the bowels; worms for confump❝tion, for apoplexy, for epilepfy, for madness, which "I imagine fhould be exceedingly alert, if we may judge by the extravagancies they occafion; and " and laftly, how do we know but there may be worms of every calibre, worms of every fhape,

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Ff2

16 and

"and of every difpofition? This is truly a moft in"genious doctrine, pity it had not more folidity. "For does it not confider human nature as a fœtus

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on which worms operate diseases as unhealthy mo"thers do on their children? Perhaps it will be faid "that these worms caufe difeafes by the corrupted humours they produce, or because they attack or injure our inteftines. But the bad temperament of "our humours alone, independent of worms, may

66

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furely produce the fame effects, and may not this "bad temperament take place without being occa"fioned by infects? Befides, of how many meta"morphofes muft not these infects be fufceptible? It "is certain that they ought to change their figure ac"cording to the different changes that take place in "difeafes, and to the different events that may fol "low from thofe that are ill cured. Further, I wish "to know whether in the human body, worms be"get indifpofition, or are the confequence of it. In "the laft cafe, the caufe of the indifpofition not be"ing from worms, another cause must be fought; "in the firft, all difeafes would originate from infection, which is not at all probable. For be"fides that in fwallowing feveral forts of worms "each of which is preparing for the patient its own "particular difeafe, he fhould at the fame time la"bour under apoplexy, confumption, tenia, fmall66 pox, and a thoufand other evils which I need not 66 name. I am not perhaps fingle in reprobating a fyftem which I take to be the idea of a vifionary, or of a quack, as defpicable in the eyes of an experienced phyfician, as the very worms are on "which the fyftem is founded."

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Although I think in the fame manner with this author in general, I do not go fo far as to deny the poffibility of finding worms in perfons afflicted with abfcefs, measles, fmall pox, and other infectious dif

eafes,

cafes. I know that cafes may be brought againft me, which do not admit of doubt, and I fhall not rafhly contradict many learned men whose experience will always entitle them to refpect. The following fact happened, I may fay, under my own eyes. A woman of Nordhaufen, of a fanguine and choleric temperament, was at the age of eight and forty troubled with an abfcefs, formed on the hypogaftric region, on the left fide, immediately under the ribs. A violent fever was fucceeded by gangrene and afterwards by palfy of the left leg. In this fituation fhe applied to Mr John David Plock, who had formerly practifed furgery with Mr D. Culmus at Dantzick. On the 27th of August 1734, upon opening the abfcefs he found he had cut through a worm; he afterwards found other two. On the 28th he difcovered three more, and in the space of three weeks he extracted no lefs than nineteen. Thefe worms perfectly refembled those that are engendered in the human inteftines. They were of the thicknefs of a quill, four inches in length, and pointed at the extremities. What are we to conclude from this fact? Shall we fay that when worms are found in difeafed perfons, the difeafes are produced by them? By no means, I believe on the contrary, that a part must be difeafed before worms can lodge themfelves in it. Let me be allowed to explain myself: Every naturalift knows that among flies there is a particular one which lays its eggs in flefh, especially when beginning to turn putrid. The infects when hatched are small, and are provided with a very sharp pointed inftrument, which though very tender, is able to penetrate the fkin. Bodies fubject to the difcafes we are talking of are precifely fuch as they go in queft of. Attracted by the fmell, they use their inftrument to depofit their eggs, and as nothing is wanting there to the proces of hatching, either in refpect of warmth or aliment, they live, grow and nourish themfelves. Such is my

opinion

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