SPURIOUS WORMS. 137 



only get at a garbled or imperfect statement of the 

 facts. Here are three more maggot cases, all of 

 which are probably genuine : 



CASE LXXVI. C. D. P., a physician residing at 

 the West End of London, called upon me on the 

 18th of January, 1868, bringing for my inspection 

 and determination a parasite which he assured me 

 had been removed from the arm of a lady of 

 rank. To be more precise, I understood him to 

 say that it had been expelled from a boil situated 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of the wrist-joint. 

 On examining this pseudhelminth, I perceived that 

 it was only an ordinary caterpillar, referable to one 

 or other of the numerous species of Noctuida. It 

 was not unlike that of the common gooseberry 

 moth. However, my opinion having been requested 

 (in a thoroughly professional and proper way) in 

 reference to the possible mode of introduction of 

 this parasite, I at first felt obliged to assert my 

 doubts as to the accuracy of his statements. After- 

 wards, however, my opinion was somewhat shaken 

 when he positively assured me that he had himself 

 pressed one of the specimens from the interior of 

 the boil. Provisionally accepting this view as a 

 possible explanation, I suggested the employment 

 of a camphor liniment, in view of preventing any 

 recurrence of the maternal insects' attacks, or 

 rather of any species of insect resembling the sup- 

 posed original offender ; and it is so far satisfactory 



