20G CIMICID^ — BED-BUGS. 



incredible decree, crawlinp^ up even the walls of his draw- 

 in.ff-room; and after his death millions were found in his 

 bed and chamber furniture. 



Gemelli, in 1G95, visited the Banian hospital at Surat, 

 and says that what amazed him most, though he went there 

 for that express purpose, was to see "a poor wretch, naked, 

 l)ound down hands and feet, to feed the Bugs or Punaises, 

 brougiit out of their stinking holes for that purpose."^ 



Mr. Forbes, speaking of this remarkable institution for 

 animals, says: "At my visit, the hospital contained horses, 

 mules, oxen, sheep, goats, monkeys, poultry, pigeons, and a 

 variety of birds. The most extraordinary ward was that 

 appropriated to rats and mice, Bugs, and other noxious ver- 

 min. The overseers of the hospital frequently hire beggars 

 from the streets, for a stipulated sum, to pass a night among 

 the Fleas, Lice, and Bugs, on the express condition of suf- 

 fering them to enjoy their feast without molestation."^ 



Navarette says that a species of Bugs (most probably a 

 Gimex), which swarm in some parts of China, are a source 

 of great amusement to the natives; for they take particular 

 delight in killing them with their fingers, and then clapping 

 them to their noses.^ 



Democritus says that the feet of a hare, or of a stag, 

 hung round the feet of the bed at the bottom of the couch, 

 does not suffer Bugs to breed ; but, in traveling, Didymus 

 adds, if you fill a vessel with cold water and set it under the 

 bed, they will not touch you when you are asleep.'' 



A superstition prevails among us that beds, in order to 

 rid them effectually of Bugs, must be cleaned during the 

 dark of the moon. 



The medicinal virtues of the Cimex are given by Pliny 

 (doubtless quoting Dioscorides, ii. 8fi) as follows: "The 

 Bug is said to be a neutralizer of the venom of serpents, 

 asps in particular, and to be a preservative against all kinds 

 of poisons. As a proof of this, they tell us that the sting 

 of an asp is never fatal to poultry, if they have eaten Bugs 

 that day ; and that, if such is the case, their flesh is remark- 



1 Churchill's Col. of Voy. arid Trav., iv. 190. 



2 Oriental Memoirs, i. 256. 



3 Astley's Col. of Voy. and Trav., iv. 513. Churchill's same, i. 34. 

 * Owen's Geoponika, ii. 160. 



