102 DIRECT INJURIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



ing that the fleas tormented her,) " don't you like 

 jleas? Well, I think they are the prettiest little merry 

 things in the world. — I never saw a dull Ilea in all my 

 life." The celebrated Willugh by kept a favourite flea, 

 which used at stated times to be admitted to suck the 

 palm of his hand; and enjoyed this privilege for three 

 months, when the cold killed it. And Dr. Townson, 

 from the encomium which he bestows upon these vigi- 

 lant little vaulters, as supplying the place of an alarum 

 and driving us from the bed of sloth, should seem to 

 have regarded them with feelings much more compla- 

 cent than those of Dr. Clarke and his friends, when 

 their hopes of passing " one night free from the attacks 

 of vermin" were changed into despair by the informa- 

 tion of the laugliing Sheik, that "the king of the fleas 

 held his court at Tiberias:" or than those of MM. 

 Lewis and Clarke, who found them more tormenting 

 than all the other plagues of tlie Missouri country, 

 where they sometimes compel even the natives to shift 

 their quarters. If you unhappily view them in this 

 unfavourable light, and have found ordinary methods 

 unavailing for riddingyourself of these unbidden guests; 

 I can furnish you with b. prohatum est recipe, which the 

 first-mentioned traveller tells us the Hungarian shep- 

 herds (who seem to have been stupidly insensible to 

 their value as alarums) find completely effectual to put 

 to flight these insects and their neighbours the lice. 

 This is not, as you may be tempted to think, by a re-' 

 markable attention to cleanliness. — Quite the reverse. 

 — They grease their linen with hog's lard, and thus 

 render themselves disgusting even to fleas ! If this does 

 not satisfy, I have another recipe in store for you. You 



