INTESTINAL MYIASIS 523 



normally lays its eggs in the nostrils of sheep, from which place 

 the maggots burrow into various parts of the head. In Algeria 

 it is said to lay its eggs while flying without alighting, upon 

 the eyes, nostrils and lips of shepherds, especially those whose 

 breath smells of fresh sheep or goat cheese. It somewhat re- 

 sembles a housefly, but is larger and of a warmer brown color. 

 Its mouthparts are deficient to such an extent that the fly is 

 incapable of feeding, its only instincts being those connected 

 with the reproduction of its kind. 



Treatment. — The danger arising from attacks of screw- 

 worms and flies of similar habits is that the infestation is often 

 not discovered until too late. Even when one is aware of an 

 attack by the fly, it is not always possible to drive it away soon 

 enough to prevent the eggs or maggot-s from being deposited. 

 The larvse should be removed as speedily as possible since they 

 may do a great deal of damage in a very short time. Usually 

 the maggots may be induced to release their hold and to fall 

 out by douching the infested part of the body with a 20 per cent 

 solution of chloroform in sweet milk, or with a carbolic or lysol 

 wash. Even salt water is often effective in' removing the mag- 

 gots and should be used if no better wash is at hand. Maggots 

 in the ear, if outside the ear drum, should be removed by means 

 of water or milk saturated with chloroform, but if they have 

 already pierced the ear drum, surgery will probably be necessary. 

 Often where infections are two or three days old surgery must be 

 resorted to and the larvse removed by means of curved forceps. 

 Frequent antiseptic washes prevent the injuries made by the 

 maggots from becoming infected with bacteria. 



Myiasis of the Intestine 



There are a number of species of fly maggots which may ac- 

 cidentally be taken into the intestine of man and cause trouble 

 there. To quote from Banks, " When we consider that these 

 dipterous larvse occur in decaying fruits and vegetables and in 

 fresh and cooked meats; that the blowfly, for example, will 

 deposit on meats in a pantry; that other maggots occur in cheese, 

 oleomargarine, etc., and that pies and puddings in restaurants are 

 accessible and suitable to them, it can readily be seen that a 

 great number of maggots must be swallowed by persons each year. 



