140 Difeafes occafiuned by hifech 



the patient dies, ths deftruftive infeft, it is faid, coiiicj forth 

 of its own accord from the mortified part. 



But in whatever manner it may come forth, it has always 

 the appearance of a very tender fmall worm, of the fize of a 

 hair, about half an inch in length, of a flefli or whitifli yel- 

 low colour, and often black at the extremities. On each fide 

 it is armetl with a finglc row of uncommonly tender briftles 

 Handing backwards, which enable it to penetrate the flcfli 

 better ; and in all probability thefe briftles occafion that 

 acute pain which is felt, and prevent it from being extrafted. 

 No rings or indentations can be obferved on it; and, except 

 the briftles, it has a great refemblance to the hair-worm. 



This is the fingular animal which Linnaeus has admitted 

 into his fyftem imder the very proper name of the Fur'ia in- 

 fernalis. It is however hardly poffible to fuppofe, with this 

 naturalift, that the above worm falls down from the atmo- 

 fphere; for it will be difficult to explain by what power it 

 can raife itfclf into the air. But the wonder will ccafe if we 

 fuppofe that this worm may be borne aloft on bits of ftraw 

 or the leaves of trees, and may then be conveyed bv the 

 winds till it at length falls down on the body of fome animal. 



In difibrent parts of the Ruffian empire, particularly in dry 

 fummers, and in open marffiy ditlri^ls, dangerous difeafes of 

 the like Ivind have been obferved, but effentially ditferent 

 from that of Sweden, though in all probability produced by 

 a fimilar caufe. 



The elder Gmelin was the firft perfon who remarked thrs 

 difeale in Siberia. He mentions it in his travels *, and gives 

 an account of its fymptoms as well as of the remedies em- 

 ployed to cure it. In order that the efleds of the Ruffian 

 difcafe mav be compared with thofe of the Swedifli fur)', T 

 fl',all here n^ive an account of the former according to the 

 lateft obfervations on the fiibjeftt. The open level country 

 which extends from the Urali mountains along the river Ui, 

 ,or the fo called Ui line, the whole dillricl of Ifcbimi and 

 Barabyni as far as it belongs to Ruffia along the Irlifch, and 



* Part IV. p. 143. 



I Pallas i\c'//i durcb ■vcrfch'.edciic Ito-jIkzck Ja RnJJifcbcn rcichi. Part U, 

 p. 30S, 



CVCH 



