350 ULLOA S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



them ; and confequeiitly, both the -brute and human fpecies be foon extirpated by the 

 multitudes of thefe infefts. They live amongft the duft, and therefore are moft com- 

 mon in fihhy places. They infmuate themfelves into the legs, the foles of the feet, 

 or toes, and pierce the fkin with fuch fubtilty, that there is no being aware of them, 

 till they have made their way into the flefli *. If they are perceived at the beginning, 

 they are extracted with little pain ; but if the head only has pierced through the fkin, 

 an incifion mufl be made before it can be taken out. If they are not foon perceived, 

 they make their way through the fkin, and take up their lodgings between that and 

 the membrane of the flelh ; and fucking the blood, form a nidus or neft, covered 

 with a white and fine tegument, refembling a flat pearl : and the infe6l is at it were, 

 enchafed in one of the faces, with its head and feet outwards, for the convenience of 

 feeding, while the hinder part of the body is within the tunic, where it depofits its eggs ; 

 and as the number of thefe encreafes, the nidus enlarges, even to the diameter of a 

 line and a half, or two lines, to which magnitude it generally attains in four or five 

 days. There is an abfolute neceflity for extradting it : for otherwife it would burfl of 

 itfelf, and by that means fcatter an infinite number of germs, refembling nits, in fize, 

 fhape, and colour, which becoming niguas, would, as it were, undermine the whole 

 foot. They caufe an extreme pain, efpecially durmg the operation of extracting them : 

 for fometimes they penetrate even to the bone ; and the pain, even after the foot is 

 cleared of them, lafts till the flelh has filled up the cavities they had made, and the 

 fkin is again clofed. 



The manner of performing this operation is both tedious and troublefome ; the flefh 

 contiguous to the membrane where the eggs of the infeft are lodged, is feparated with 

 the point of a needle, and thofe eggs fo tenacioufly adhere to the flelh and this mem- 

 brane, that to complete the operation without burfting the tegument, and putting the 

 patient to the moft acute pain, requires the greateft dexterity. After feparating on 

 every fide the fmall and almoft imperceptible fibres, by which it was fo clofely con- 

 nected with the membranes and mufcles of the part, the perilla, as they term it, is 

 extracted, the dimenfions of which are proportional to the time it has exifted. If 

 unfortunately it fhould burft, the greateft care muft be ufed to clear away all the roots, 

 particularly not to leave the principal nigua ; as before the wound could be healed, 

 there would be a new brood, further within the flefh ; and confequently the cure m.uch 

 more difficult and painful. 



The cavity left by the removal of the nidus, muft be immediately filled either with 

 tobacco alhes, chewed tobacco, or fnuff ; and in hot countries, as Carthagena, great 

 care muft be taken not to wet the foot for the firft two days, as convulfions would 

 enfue ; a diftemper feldom got over : this confequence has poffibly been obferved in 

 fome, and from thence confidered as general f. 



The firft entrance of this infeCt is attended with no fenfible pain ; but the next day, 

 it brings on a fiery itching extremely painful, but more fo in fome parts than in others. 

 This is the cafe in extracting it, when the infeCt gets between the nails and the flefh, 

 or at the extremity of the toes. In the fole of the foot and other parts where the fldn 

 is callous, they caufe little or no pain. 



This infeft fhows an implacable hatred to fome animals, particularly the hog ; which 

 it preys on with fuch voracity, that when their feet come to be fcalded, after being 

 killed, they are found full of cavities made by this corroding infeCt. 



* They feldom infmuate themfelves into the legs. A. 



f There is no neceflity for this precaution, as is well known to the honell tar. The tobacco afhes, &c. 

 entirely dellroy the nits or ovaria, if any be left. A. 



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