48 LOACHES CANCER. 



to-morrow morning. I gave some directions, in a letter, to 

 what particulars the engraver should be attentive. 



Finding, while I was on a visit, that I was within a reason- 

 able distance of Ambresbury, I sent a servant over to that 

 town, and procured several living specimens of loaches, 

 which he brought, safe and brisk, in a glass decanter. They 

 were taken in the gulleys that were cut for watering the 

 meadows. From these fishes (which measured from two to 

 four inches in length) I took the following description : 

 The loach, in its general aspect, has a pellucid appearance ; 

 its back is mottled with irregular collections of small black 

 dots, not reaching much below the linea lateralis, as are the 

 back and tail fins ; a black line runs from each eye down to 

 the nose ; its belly is of a silvery white ; the upper jaw 

 projects beyond the lower, and is surrounded with six feelers, 

 three on each side; its pectoral fins are large, its ventral 

 much smaller j the fin behind its anus small ; its dorsal fin 

 large, containing eight spines ; its tail, where it joins to the 

 tail fin, remarkably broad, without any taperness, so as to be 

 characteristic of this genus ; the tail fin is broad, and square 

 at the end. From the breadth and muscular strength of the 

 tail, it appears to be an active nimble fish. * 



In my visit I was not very far from Hungerford, and did 

 not forget to make some inquiries concerning the wonderful 

 method of curing cancers by means of toads. Several intelli- 

 gent persons, both gentry and clergy, do, I find, give a great 

 deal of credit to what was asserted in the papers ; and I 

 myself dined with a clergyman who seemed to be persuaded 

 that what is related is matter of fact; but, when I came to 

 attend to his account, I thought I discerned circumstances 

 which did not a little invalidate the woman's story of the 

 manner in which she came by her skill. She says of herself, 

 that, " labouring under a virulent cancer, she went to some 

 church where there was a vast crowd ; on going into a pew, 

 she was accosted by a strange clergyman, who, after expressing 

 compassion for her situation, told her, that if she would make 

 such an application of living toads as is mentioned, she would 

 be well." Now, is it likely that this unknown gentleman 

 should express so much tenderness for this single sufferer, 

 and not feel any for the many thousands that daily languish 

 under this terrible disorder ? Would he not have made use of 



* The species above described is the cobitis barbatula, or bearded 

 loach : there is another specios found in most of the streams of Britain, 

 c. tania. ED, 



