[ 3-l.i ] 



L\ III. An Essay on Medical Enlomology . By F. CiiAf- 



METOiN, Physician to the Anny. 



[Continued from p. 242 ] 



ORDER ir. 



HEMIPTERA. 



V_'0cccs — Gall Insect. — The female, savs Cuvier, has the 

 form of a buckler firmly attached to the stems and leaves 

 of planis, and lives on the juice, which it extracts by a 

 long beak it inserts into ihem. It has six short feet, and 

 two short and cylindric antennae : it has no wings. The 

 male, in the state of larva, has almost the same form as 

 the female ; but it is metamorphosed into a very small in- 

 sect with two long wings, long filiform antennte, and 

 six smoi)lh eyes, w ithout any apparent beak. When the 

 female has been fecundated, she becomes considerably 

 larger. The eggs which she lays remain under her bodv, 

 which afterwards becomes dry and serves as a shelter to the 

 eggs, and for some time to the young after they have been 

 batched. The latter issue from an indentation in the poste- 

 rior part of the body of their mother, and run about some 

 time on the tree before they becon}e fixed. 



Coccus Ilicis — Kennes. — This gall insect lives on a kind 

 of green oak which grows 'm Spain, Portugal, and the south 

 ot France {Querctis coccifera). The female, which in April 

 k not larger than a grain of millet, acquires by fecundation 

 such a size, that in the month of June she is almost as 

 large as a juniper berry, which she pretty nearly resembles 

 in shape and colour. At this last period, when the female- 

 loses life by comnumicating it, the follicles formed by her 

 body and eggs are torn off by means of the nails. To' pre- 

 vent the latter from being hatched they are besprink'ed with 

 good vinegar, and dried in the open air. 



With the juice expressed froni these follicles is prepared 

 v>hat are called graines d'ccarlate and syrup of kermes, 

 which is employed as an astringent, stimulant, and aphro- 

 ■ disiac. 



It will be sufficient to enumerate the different substance? 

 which enter into the preparation of alkermcs, to show how 

 little foundation there is for its great reputation. Notwith- 

 slanding the successive reforms which this electuary has 

 experienced since the time of Messue, it could not lose the 

 impression of that Arabic polypharmacy with which, during 

 a long series of ages, rnedicine was infected, and from 

 which it is not yet lotally freed. 



3 Pastil"- 



