On Medical Entoiwlogy . .•j.jij 



Pastils of aikermes deserve as little coiifidenue, and rnu^t 

 also be rejected. 



Kermes iurnish to the arts a red of a good colour, but 

 less brilliant than that of cochineal. The latter is an insect 

 ot the same genus {Coccus cacti), which is produced -in 

 America on a kind of cactus called nopal {Cad if s cocci nd- 

 lij-erus). The female is oval, aiid retains traces of the setr- 

 ments of her body. A decoction of these insects, mixed 

 with a nitro-munatic solution of tin, produces scarlet- 

 alone, they dye crimson. 



Stisser, Lister, and Struve, have extolled cochineal in 

 aHections oi the urinary passages ; vet its medicinal quali- 

 ties are very uncertain, and, in mv opinion, it ouoht to be 

 applied only to dyeing*. ' 



Another kind of coccus produces gum lac. This also 

 medicine may give up to dyeing, which derives from it L 

 beautiful red colour. 



ORDER Iir. 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



PHALJEKA—Motk.—Tht phalaenai are distinguished froxn 

 the butterfly and sphynx by their antennce decreasino- from 

 the base to the summit, aiul by their flying abroad ohieflv 

 m the night. ' 



Vhaljesa (Bombyx) MoRi-Thc larva of this species is 

 known generally under the improper denomination of ^Jk 

 worm. A great deal has been written on the method of 

 producing and rendering useful the valuable tissue which 

 forms tlie tomb it constructs for itself: Ch.aus^ier has che- 

 mically examined the phalaena of the mulberry tree, and 

 has .'xtracted from it, by means of alcohol, an aeid fthe 

 bombic) pretty well concentrated, with which the mate-ia 

 medica might be enriched. I consider all acids as capable 

 f)t_turnishmg powerful succour to medicine; aud, in my 

 opinion, none of them ous^ht to be neglected. 



Bonnet, Bergman, and^Sauvages h^'ave found acid pro- 

 perties m the larvae of several other lepidopterie. it u ou!d 

 be of importance to repeat their experiments, and make an 

 application ol them to the art of healing. 



ORDER V. 



MYMENOl»TEUA. 



Cvmi'S~Ci/nips.— The mouth of these insects is fur- 

 mshcd with jaws, and unprovided with a trunk, l^hey havf 



• In Kcneral it appears that oil insects introduced into the ai.imaJ c^w- 

 n'.my cirry tl.clr action chiefly tc th.- urinary organ:. 



a smaJl 



