Dipterous Larvce in Hwnan Excreta. 55 



GROUP D. 



Animals which concern Man as causing bodily injury, some- 

 times death, to him, and in other cases disease, often of 

 a deadly character. 



Live Dipterous Larvae in Human Excreta and 

 Notes on Species producing Myiasis. 



Mr. J. W. Bridge, of the University, Birmingham, sent two larvae 

 from the excreta of a woman with the following letter, dated 

 Dec. 4th, 1901 :— 



I ask you to identify the specimens which I am sending here- 

 with. They were sent to me by a doctor at Shrewsbury who states that 

 they were passed per rectum by a patient suffering from cancer. If you 

 can give me any chie to their identification I shall be grateful. 



To this the following reply was sent : — 



The larvae you send from the excreta of the woman suffering 

 from cancer are those of one of the Anthomyiidte and of the genus 

 Homalomyia. Certain species of these diptera are responsible for authentic 

 cases of internal Myiasis. They are taken in with vegetable food and 

 retain their vitality and are sometimes passed in the fa3ces alive. They are 

 in no way connected with cancer. 



Most of the cases of human Myiasis are due to the larvae 

 of Compsomyia, CctllipJiora, SarcopliUa, Homalomyia, Ochromyia, 

 Dermatohia and Auchmeroyia. Myiasis may be either (i) cutaneous 

 or (ii) internal. 



Homalomyia canicularis, Linn., has been reported by Hagen 

 (Proc. Bost. Soc, N.H. xx. 107) as living in the larval stage in the 

 urethra of a patient. I'robably, says Nuttall, a case of pseudo- 

 parasitism. 



The following other dipterous larvae have been known to cause 

 external or cutaneous myiasis. 



SarcopJiila magnifica, Schiner, which deposits its eggs in wounds 

 on man and animals. 



