as affecting Domesticated Animals. 39 



to such a dcg^ree as to be attended by the most fatal consequences, 

 rendering amputation necessary, and sometimes causin^^ death."* 



In Kiichenmeister's work on animal parasites, it is stated that, 

 *' according to most authors, the Pulex penetrans only lives as far as 

 29^ of south latitude in the hot countries of South America, espe- 

 cially in Brazil ; whilst Goudot found it even in the cold region 

 of New Granada as far as Bogota, According to the journals 

 of Count Gortz, besides sand, the flea likes to dwell in the 

 crevices and joints of ''pig-sties." Again, " Martiny gives the 

 following notes upon it from Dobritzhofer. This animal is so 

 small that it can only be seen by sharp eyes with a good light, ' 

 for which reason the seeking for the flea after its immigration is 

 generally left to children. It perforates the skin down to the 

 flesh, and, concealed in its little canal, swells up into a white, 

 globular vesicle, which in a few days may become as large as a 

 pea, the pain constantly increasing ; this is the abdomen of the 

 female filled with eggs, or, more correctly, with larvae. Neglect 

 of the disorder or careless rupture of the vesicle, that is, the 

 abdomen, by which the young are scattered in the wound, where 

 they then mine fresh passages, leads to bad sores, to inflamma- 

 tion of the glands of the groin, to mortification, and, in conse- 

 quence, to amputation or mutilation of the limbs, or even to 

 death. The toes are especially attacked by the flea, although 

 other parts of the body are also visited." 



Alluding to the treatment of cases of this kind, Kiichen- 

 meister says, " When the animal has once made an entrance, 

 the orifice of the canal, which is marked by a red point, may 

 be sought, the passage widened with a needle, and the flea drawn 

 out, but without tearing it. With fresh punctures it is best to 

 wait a day, until the occurrence of the white vesicle, that is to 

 say, the swelling of the abdomen with the brood, allows the 

 animal to be more readily detected. Here also I should think 

 that touching this vesicle with oil of anise would be beneficial 

 and kill the flea (because the. respiratory stigmata are situated 

 upon the abdomen) or compel it to wander out. The cavity 

 remaining after extraction is treated like a simple wound. In 

 Brazil they fill it with oil, snuff, or ashes." t 



Ixodes Ricinus. — The Tick. 



The tick is a true blood-sucking parasite, belonging to the 

 family Ixodida, the class Arachnida, and order Acarina. The 

 species or varieties are very numerous, both here and in most 

 other countries. 



* ' Medical Zoology,' p. 193. 



t Kiichenmeister's ' Animal Parasites,' vol. ii., p. 92. 



