FILARIA MEDINENSIS. 395 



disseminated all sorts of nonsensical opinions about it. Tims, 

 some regarded it as a tumour and abscess from heated blood, or 

 a boil (Pare, Aldrovandi, Montanus and even Larrey), or as an 

 apostheme (La Faye), an elongated vein (Gui de Cauliac), a corrupt 

 nervous substance (Soranus, Pollux), as black bile (Tagentius), 

 and as tumours and glands of the skin (Fielitz). The names Vena 

 saniosa,by error in writing (printing?) Vena famosa, and further Vena 

 meclen, medeme, civilis, medinensis > cruris sive exiens, egrediens, me- 

 diana,&ud Vena Eudimini, are all synonyms produced in this fashion. 

 As I am unacquainted with the Arabic language, I sought for 

 the Hebrew root analogous to the Arabic Ark, I found the 

 word p"iy, which is the same as corroded or " to corrode, or gnaw 

 away." The notion of corrosion obtained from this agreed 

 very well with our worm, which is described by Agathar- 

 chides as having such an action, and I therefore applied to 

 Dr. Zenker, of Leipzig, with the inquiry whether the Ark alme- 

 clhii of Avenzoar and Rhases might not probably be translated 

 " the Medinian gnawer, or id quod corrodit Medinenses," regard 

 being had to the Hebrew Arak. Upon this inquiry I received the 

 following communication, to use as I pleased. " As regards the 

 signification of Irk, Ark or Arak ahnedini, a certain judgment 

 can only be given after an inspection of the text, which, how- 

 ever, only exists in manuscript, and is not accessible to me. 

 Your supposition, however, that it must be rendered " the 

 Medinian biter or gnawer" is quite correct. The Arabic 

 Arak " s & = p")^ originally signifies " to gnaw, to gnaw away/' 

 namely, the flesh from the bone, hence Ark of the bones. The 

 substantive (nomen actionis) of arak is ark or irk and signifies 

 espeeialh r gnawing, gnawing away, as an action, a signification 

 which is very well adapted for the name of a worm. The 

 explanation would be still more easy, if we read ; l£ . arek, with 

 a long a. This would correspond with the Arabic participle 

 [nomen agentis), and would have to be rendered the gnawer or the 

 gnawing one. The question is now, which of the two words 

 stands in the Arabic text. The translation nervus medinensis 

 leads us to conclude that it is j r. and corresponds with the voca- 

 lization irk, (vein)." In order to obtain information as to the 

 mode of writing in the original text, I applied to my friend 

 Dr. Hille, junr., well known as the editor of the Araban Oculist, 

 who sent me the following kind answer. 



