380 HISTORY OF 



the great outlines of their history, they resemble those of which 

 we have just been giving a description ; like them all other 

 beetles are bred from the egg, which is deposited in the ground, 

 or sometimes, though seldom, in the barks of trees, they change 



age to flour, as well as to broad, cakes, biscuit, and similar articles. Ac- 

 counts are also given of the ravages committed by the grubs of other beetles, 

 of several species apparently not well ascertained, upon different sorts ot 

 provisions, such as bacon, ham, dried tongues, ship-biscuit, &c. Sparrman 

 tells us, that he lias witnessed the ground peas on ship-board so infested 

 with these grubs, that they were seen in every spoonful of the sonp. In the 

 case of soup, or of other food which has been exposed to heat, the only in- 

 convenience is the disgust which must ensue ; but, unfortunately, there 

 may sometimes occur circimistauces of a more serious nature, — from either 

 the eggs or the insects themselves being incautiously swallowed alive. 



The meal worm, and some of the grubs which feed on grain and other 

 provisions, are recorded to have been swallowed, and to have given rise to 

 disorders in the stomach and bowels ; but in all such cases it is plain, that if 

 the insects did survive the increased temperature of the stomach, they could 

 only live on the food swallowed from time to tmie, for, not being carnivo- 

 rous, they would not attack the stomach itself. The same remark will 

 apply no less forcibly to the herbivorous larva?, which might chance to be 

 swallowed in salad, &c. 



That insects are, in some rare cases, introduced into the human stomach, 

 has been more than once proved ; though the greater number of the ac- 

 counts of such facts in medical books are too inaccurate to be trusted. But 

 one extraordinary case has been completely authenticated, both by medical 

 men and competent naturalists ; and is published in the Dublin Transac- 

 tions, by Dr Pickells of Cork. Mary Riordan, aged 28, had been much af- 

 fected by the death of her mother, and at one of her many visits to the grave 

 seems to have partially lost her senses, having been found lying there on the 

 morning of a winter's day, and having been exposed to heavy rain during 

 the night. When she was about fifteen, two popular Catholic priests had 

 died, and she was told by some old women that if she would drink daily, for 

 a certain time, a quantity of water, mixed with clay taken from their 

 graves, she would be for ever secure from disease and sin. Following this 

 absurd and disgusting prescription, she took from time to time large quan- 

 tities of the draught ; some time afterwards, being affected Avith a burning 

 pain in the stomach, she began to eat large pieces of chalk, v/hicli she some- 

 times also mixed with water and drank. Now, whether in any or in all ot 

 these draughts she swallowed the eggs of insects, cannot be affirmed ; but 

 for several years she continued to throw up incredible numbers of grubs 

 and maggots, chiefly of the churchyard beetle. " Of the larvae of the beetle,' 

 says Dr Pickells, " I am sure I considerably underrate, when I say, that 

 not less than 700 have been thrown up from the stomach at different timcb 

 since the commencement of my attendance. A great proportion were de- 

 stroyed by herself to avoid publicity; many, too, escaped immediately by 

 running into holes in the floor. Upwards of m'nety were submitted to Dr 

 Tliomson's examination ; nearly all of which, including two of the sped- 

 mens of the meal worm, I saw myself, thrown up at different times. The 



