344 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEV/S. [Oct., '17 



and samples were forwarded to the Bureau of Entomolog}^ 

 and Dr. Aldrich identified them as Sarcophaga haentorrhoidalis. 



In order to learn more about the case, the writer went to 

 Sumner to consult further with Dr. Lewis and to interview 

 the patients. The family, consisting of husband, wife, daugh- 

 ter and son, moved to Sumner in 1914 and since that time Dr. 

 Lewis attended them. The husband was a strong, active man ; 

 the wife was slight but active and somewhat nervous ; the 

 daughter of nine and son of six were strong, healthy children 

 inclined to outdoor life. The husband had never been affected 

 to his knowledge, but the wife had had attacks each summer 

 for the past six years excepting 191 6. The daughter had had 

 a number of attacks, including one in 1916, at which time she 

 passed the larvae which were bred for determination. The 

 son had had one attack when about three years old. The 

 husband's work called him from home most of the time during 

 the summer and the wife was inclined to leave food on the 

 table from meal to meal and to serve cold meals. 



The home surroundings were found to be similar to those 

 of the average home in a small country town. The house was 

 a small cottage, screened and in average condition as regards 

 repairs. The front yard was small and densely shaded by soft 

 maple trees. The lot extended back some two hundred feet 

 to a railroad. The family drank well water and in the garden 

 was an open closet. The wife seemed to be a neat housekeep- 

 er, but had the reputation of being negligent about the cook- 

 ing and handling of foods. 



So far as it was possible to determine, the diet of the family 

 was well balanced. Considerable meat was used, but not to 

 excess. Cooked vegetables were commonly used cold for sup- 

 per and cold prepared meats were also extensively used. 

 Cheese was also used in considerable quantities. There seems 

 to have been nothing unusual as regards the type of food or its 

 preparation which would explain the reason for the repeated 

 ingestion of the maggots, unless it be the fact that cold vege- 

 tables and cold prepared meats were more or less regularly 

 used during the summer. The fact that during the spring, 

 summer and fall of 1916 the advice of Dr. Lewis to warm 



