OF THE HUMAN BODY. 55 



of those who pretend that the human lumhrico'idcs 

 is different from the lumhriciis that inhabits the in- 

 testines of other animals, notably those of the horse 

 and dog.(19t) The length and the extraordinary 

 size of this worm are regarded by some as an essen- 

 tial mark of different species ; but this may depend 

 on its different nourishment. And have we not ev- 

 ery day examples of animals, whicii, abundantly 

 fed on highly nutritious substances, become inor- 

 dinately large above their natural state ? 



Vallisneri found a very large one in the intes- 

 tines of a calf ;( 19-^) ^a^tfyi describes another of 

 these worms, thirty feet long, vomited up by one of 

 his patients by smelling garlic ;(196) and Itosen-: 

 stein, in the space of eight days, expelled nearly 

 ninety of tliem, quarter of an arm fhras^J long, 

 from a little girl of eight years. 



This question docs not therefore seem to be 

 solved, since analogy and observation can furnish 

 several arguments sufficiently satisfactory, which- 

 ever of these opinions we embrace. 



§ XLIV. The lumbricoides is perfectly round, 

 commonly about the size of a writing quill : most 

 frequently it is from six, seven and eight to ten fin- 

 gers'' breadth in length. (197) In each individ- 



* The French v/ord hras is probably berc a translation of 

 the Italian braccio botli from tlie Latin brachium arm ; Itut in 

 neither of these languages any more tlian in our own, does the 

 word seem to import a definite measure length. The French 

 translators sometimes use it for one and a half njetre prcciselj', 

 and sometimes for rather lees. Jl. T. 



