558 SUPPLEMENT 
class of animals ; namely, the F. medinensis, belonging to the 
filariz, commonly called the guinea-worm. 
This species, the most celebrated of all, is very long. The 
edges of the mouth are inflated, and the point of the tail is 
inflected. Itisof the size of a small cord, and of the same 
diameter almost throughout. Its head is provided with a sort 
of sucker, formed by the inflation of the lip which surrounds 
the mouth, the orifice of which is very small. The tail is ter- 
minated by a sort of inflected hook. Its colour is the same as 
that of most of the worms that live in the interior of animals ; 
that is, a dirty white, passing to yellow in alcohol. In length, 
it appears to vary considerably. Kcempfer speaks of a foot, 
of a cubit, and more. Grundler describes the one that he has 
seen, as being three feet and a half, Rhenish measure. Kemse- 
muller says it frequently exceeds two ells. Gallandat gives 
it eight or nine feet ; and in fine, Fermin carries its length to 
eight or nine ells, which appear, indeed, to be somewhat im- 
probable. Be all this, however, as it may, this worm appears 
hitherto to have been found cn the human species alone, in 
the cellular tissue of different parts, and especially in that 
of the legs, towards the malleoli. It also appears to be en- 
demic in the burning regions of the old and of the new 
continent. The names of medina-worm, and guinea-worm, 
have been given to it, from the places where at first it was 
observed. 
There are among observers, great dissensions respecting the 
origin of this worm. Some think that it is exterior, that it is 
a true gordius, and that it insinuates itself into the skin of 
such persons as walk barefooted; that it deposits its eggs 
there, grows, and is developed there, and produces by its pre- 
sence such painful symptoms, that it has received the deno- 
mination of furia infernalis. Proofs have, in fact, been given 
that it may exist in this manner for a considerable length of 
