98 DIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



nobleman, from whose eyes, nostrils, mouth, and uri- 

 nary passage animalcules of a red colour, and exces- 

 sively minute, broke forth day and night, attended by 

 the most horrible and excruciating pains, and at length 

 occasioning his death. The account further says, that 

 they were produced fi'om his corrupted blood. This 

 was probably a fancy originating in their red colour : 

 but the w hole history, whether we consider the size 

 and colour of the animals, or the places from which 

 they issue, is inapplicable to larxce or maggots, and 

 agrees very well with Acari, some of which, particu- 

 larly A. auttimnaHs, are of a bright red colour. The 

 other case, and a very similar one, is that recorded by 

 Mouffet of Lady Penruddock ; concerning whom he 

 expressly tells us, that Acari swarmed in every part of 

 her body — her head, eyes, nose, lips, gums, the soles of 

 her feet, &c., tormenting her day and night, till, in 

 spite of every remedy, all the flesh of her body being 

 consumed, she was at length relieved by death from 

 this terrible state of suffering. Mouffet attributes her 

 disease to the Acarus Scabici; but from the symptoms 

 and fatal result it seems to have been a different and 

 much more terrific animal. He supposes, in this in- 

 stance, the insect to have been generated by drinking 

 goat's milk too copiously. This, if correct, would lead 

 to a conjecture that it might have been the A. JLactis, L. 

 These cases I hope will satisfy you that Acari, as 

 well as Pediculi, are the cause of diseases in the hu- 

 man frame. This, indeed, as has been before observed, 

 is allowed on all hands with respect to that of the itch ; 

 and it is, certainly, not more improbable that man 

 should be exposed to the attack of several species of 



