218 HABITS AND INSTINCTS OP ANIMALS. CHAP. VI. 



itching of the part ; soon afterwards by acute j r ain, a 

 red spot, gangrene ; and, at last, inflammatory fever, 

 accompanied by swoonings. In this state, the insect 

 not being extracted, in the course of two days, at fur- 

 thest, death ensues. The extraction of the worm is 

 very difficult. The Finlanders, however, use a poultice 

 of curds or cheese, which not only allays the pain, but, 

 as they affirm, entices the worm out of the part. The 

 most effectual method, however, is obviously to extract 

 it by means of the lancet. The immortal Swede, 

 during one of his entomological excursions, was attacked 

 by this worm in so dreadful a manner, that for a 

 short time, as he himself tells us, there was great doubt 

 whether he would recover. 



(230.) Our celebrated navigator, Dampier, was 

 nearly in as dangerous a predicament as Linnaeus, from 

 the effects of what he calls the Indian thread- worm, 

 probably a species of Filaria. His own words will 

 best express the peril of these creatures. "If they 

 are broken in drawing out, that part which remains in 

 the flesh" (or rather, Jie should have said, the flesh 

 itself) " will putrefy, be very painful, and endanger the 

 patient's life or, at least, the use of his limb. I 

 have known some persons that have been scarified 

 strangely in the operation of taking out the worm." 

 One of these entered into his own ancle. " I was," 

 he says, " in great torment before it came out. My 

 leg and ancle swelled, and looked very angry, and I 

 kept on a plaster to bring it to head. At last, drawing 

 off my plaster, out came three inches of the worm, 

 and my pain abated. Till that time I was ignorant of 

 my malady, and the gentleman at whose house I was 

 took it for a nerve ; but I knew well what it was, and 

 presently rolled it up on a small stick. After this I 

 opened the place every morning and evening, and 

 strained the worm out gently, about two inches at a 

 time, not without some pain, till I had at length got 

 out about two feet." He afterwards had it entirely 

 discharged by one of the negroes, who applied to it a 



