50 On Medical Entomology. 



purposes. Alcohol, with which it perfectly niixe?, ought, 

 as we may say, to give it wings; to multiply its virtues, and 

 in particular, to increase that of rousing the palled organ?. 



The formic acid unites so easily with alkalis, that, if a 

 piece of linen imbibed with these bases he presented to an 

 ant-hill, you will obtain formiates of soda, potash, or 

 ammonia/ I have strong reasons for believing that these 

 two salts are preferable to the acetites of potash and am- 

 monia ; and if the formic acid has a great analogy to the 

 phosphoric, as Thouvenel thinks, the formiate of soda 

 would furnish the healing art with a gentle purgative, muchi 

 cheaper than the phosphate. 



ORDER Vn. 



APTEUA. 



ScoRrio — The Scorpmi. — The scorpion is distinguished 

 bv characters so striking that it is impossible not to know 

 it' on the lirst view, h has a long articulated tail, termi- 

 nating^ in a sharp moveable hook, which to this animal is 

 both a defensive and offensive weapon. Under its man- 

 dibles there are enormous feelers, terminating in pincers, 

 like those of crabs. These feelers, which Spielman calls 

 cheliform antennte, are much longer than the feet. The 

 latter are eight in number, as well as the eyes. At the 

 posterior part of the breast also there are two dentatcd 

 scales in the form of combs, the use of which has not yet 

 been discovered*. 



Scorpio Europ.^us. — The European scorpion lives like 

 the other species in the warm or very temperate climates. 

 Tt is common in Spain, in Italy, and in the south of 

 France. Its length varies from one to two inches : its 

 pincers arc oval and angular : its combs have sixteen or 

 eighteen teeth. 



If the sting of the European scorpion were mortal, as has 

 been asserted^ it would be a powerful cause of depopulation 

 in certain towns, in which f have seen this insect inhabit- 

 ing without molestation the greater part of the houses, and 

 infesting even the beds. We must not, therefore, give 

 implicit'belief to the tales circulated on this subject. I was 

 stung at Lodi bv a brown scorpion an inch in length, and 

 of the size of a goose quill. The residt was only a slight 

 pain, and a oupcrficial phlogosis, which was soon di?si- 



• It is supposed that they serve as organs of respiration, and that tht>Y 

 iiave an analogy to the branchix of the Crustacea, for scorpioiu in their 

 form approach to th;it order of a;iiniala. 



pated. 



