too THE ORIGIN OF 



This subject, divested of the hypotheses of nat- 

 uralists, and treated with the evidence of facts, 

 merits the full attention of physicians, since it di- 

 rectly iujiuences the diagnosis and cure of vermin- 

 ous and other severe asthenic diseases. 



§ LVIII. The origin of worms, not only in 

 man, but also in other animals, has been the theme 

 of profound meditations among the greatest natur- 

 alists and most eminent physicians. 



On this subject tliire have been many disputes, 

 and much writing, and some have imagined that 

 much had been observed ; but little however has 

 heen determined, while it has, in fine, been judi- 

 ciously concluded to hold as doubtful ail opinions 

 liUhcrto adopted(« ) by the most fortunate observ- 

 ers, since they rest on suppositions which, though 

 ingenious, are rather slippery than solid. 



§ LIX. Excepting only the vesicular worms/ 

 the structure of all the other human worms has 

 not yet i)een suijicientiy studied. Iience we have 

 seen some of them furnished with the parts which 

 constitute both sexes ; others having both individ- 

 uals united in one, as the taeniae ;[^) while some 

 exhibit these parts distinct in the difierent individ- 

 uals, as in the ti icocephalus,(^} the a^cM-is vermic- 

 uluris.(4<) and the lurabricoides.(i?) This would 

 be saying that our worms, like all other living be- 

 ings less imperfect than they, proceed from eggs 

 peculiar to the analogous species. (6) 



In effect, some multiply ])y depositing their 

 eggs, to be afterward fecundated by the passing of 



