36 ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 



perhaps two or three minutes continuance, when an acute pain 

 came on suddenly, and was severe whilst it continued, and then 

 as suddenly subsided. On my arrival, and during my continu- 

 ance at II. Rosaria de Cucuta, I walked [359] with difl&culty ; 

 there was a considerable tumefaction over the tibia, which had 

 the appearance of ordinary bile (phlegmon ;) in the centre there 

 was a small black speck; the usual applications were used with- 

 out any success, and the tumor became more irritated and in- 

 flamed, and thus it remained for some days, attended at times 

 with a most acute pain, which for a few minutes was almost in- 

 tolerable. 



" In returning to Maracaibo, I had to descend the Cottatumba 

 in an open boat, without any shelter, and being wet to the skin 

 by the cold rains which fell every night, T suifercd much, and 

 was almost constantly tormented by the tumor, which became 

 more painful at those particular periods than usual ; during this 

 passage, which lasted for twelve days, I was induced to scarify 

 it, and had recourse to the usual topical applications, but without 

 success. At times I imagined that I felt something moving, and 

 suspected that there was something alive beneath the skin. 



"After my return to Maracaibo I became scarcely able to walk, 

 and was, in a manner, confined to my quarters. In this situation 

 I continued two weeks lonfj'er, the tumor havin": besan to dis- 

 charge, and without any diminution of the painful periods. 



" Being now nearly worried out, it occurred to me to try a 

 poultice of tobacco, which was used for several nights, having 

 previously scarified the tumor; during the day I frequently 

 dusted it with ashes of segars : as an ingredient I used rum in- 

 stead of water [360] in making the poultice. On the fourth 

 morning after this remedy, I felt considerable relief, and on the 

 fifth, with a forceps, I drew out the worm which you have now 

 in your possession, and which was then dead. 



" In a few days the sore assumed a healthy look, and in ten 

 days was perfectly healed up, although, at times, I yet experience 

 a heavy pain in the part from whence the worm has been taken. 

 It had travelled on the periosteum along the the tibia for at least 

 two inches. The severe pain which I experienced from those 

 periods, I attribute to the irritation of some of the branches of 

 the nerves distributed to the parts by the worm in its progress. 



[Vol. II. 



