Parasites. 293 



with even fatal results to the patient, "In bad cases 

 amputation of the toes and adjacent parts becomes 

 necessary. Left to themselves, the larvae escape from 

 their host, and probably, after the manner of bots and 

 other parasitic inse6ts, penetrate the soil for the purpose 

 of acquiring the pupal stage of growth." The prophy- 

 laxis of this parasite is self-evident, to keep the feet 

 well-prote6led with boots and never to go about bare 

 footed in places where they are known to exist. It is 

 quite possible to become infested with these parasites 

 by even walking about barefooted on the fioor of some 

 of our houses. 



Another familiar example of the E£lozoa in Bri- 

 tish Guiana is that very persistent and irritating 

 creature which we call the Bete- rouge ; but I can find 

 no mention of it under this name in many of the works 

 which I have consulted. 



I take it to be intimately allied to the Leptus auium- 

 nalis or Harvest-bug. It is, as every one in British 

 Guiana knows, of a brick-red colour, oval in shape, and 

 about ^ to i mm. long. The symptoms it is capable of 

 producing are too well-known to all of us. And though 

 in some few cases it is able to produce somewhat 

 severe types of skin-disease, in most cases it pro- 

 duces no more result than the excessive irritation, 

 increased at night-time, with numerous red papules 

 and wheals. 



Then there is another affeflion peculiar to the country 

 distri6ts of British Guiana, and so frequently met with 

 amongst the coolies working in the sugar-cane fields— 

 which undoubtedly is of a parasitic nature, though I have 

 never yet heard of the exa6l nature of the parasite, or 



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