﻿[9] 
  On 
  Mermis 
  acuminata. 
  12] 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  importance 
  of 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  

   internal 
  parasites, 
  and 
  the 
  interest 
  connected 
  with 
  them, 
  from 
  

   the 
  fearful 
  results 
  following 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   class 
  within 
  the 
  human 
  body, 
  as 
  for 
  example, 
  the 
  Trichina 
  

   spiralis, 
  is 
  my 
  apology 
  for 
  replying 
  to 
  your 
  inquiries 
  at 
  some 
  

   length. 
  The 
  detection 
  of 
  the 
  Mermis 
  in 
  the 
  apple, 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  

   instances, 
  recently, 
  need 
  not, 
  we 
  think, 
  occasion 
  alarm. 
  It 
  is 
  

   possible 
  that 
  in 
  eating 
  an 
  uncooked 
  apple 
  without 
  the 
  proper 
  

   mastication, 
  a 
  living 
  Mermis 
  might 
  be 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  

   stomach, 
  for 
  of 
  the 
  Gordius 
  (a 
  closely 
  allied 
  genus 
  as 
  above 
  

   stated) 
  Leidy 
  says, 
  " 
  It 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  hardest 
  or 
  most 
  resist- 
  

   ant 
  to 
  the 
  feel 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  order, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  tough 
  and 
  elastic. 
  

   It 
  is 
  very 
  tenacious 
  of 
  life, 
  and 
  when 
  cut 
  into 
  several 
  pieces 
  

   will 
  continue 
  to 
  live 
  and 
  move 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  afterward." 
  

   But 
  should 
  it 
  escape 
  the 
  ordeal 
  of 
  the 
  teeth 
  and 
  pass 
  unin- 
  

   jured 
  into 
  the 
  stomach, 
  there 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  

   action 
  of 
  the 
  gastric, 
  juice 
  and 
  other 
  conditions 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  

   would 
  be 
  there 
  subjected, 
  would 
  deprive 
  it 
  of 
  life 
  before 
  it 
  

   could 
  pass 
  into 
  the 
  intestines 
  or 
  penetrate 
  the 
  integuments 
  of 
  

   the 
  body. 
  

  

  Subsequent 
  to 
  the 
  above 
  communication, 
  I 
  addressed 
  an- 
  

   other 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Friend, 
  asking 
  for 
  such 
  additional 
  information 
  as 
  

   he 
  might 
  possess, 
  or 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  obtain 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  inter- 
  

   esting 
  parasite. 
  In 
  reply 
  he 
  sent 
  me 
  a 
  letter 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  

   received 
  from 
  Mr. 
  James 
  T. 
  King, 
  of 
  Middletown, 
  stating 
  

   under 
  date 
  of 
  April 
  16, 
  1875, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  I 
  regret 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to. 
  give 
  you 
  but 
  a 
  very 
  meagre 
  report 
  on 
  

   the 
  apple-worm. 
  Two 
  or 
  three 
  years 
  have 
  passed 
  since 
  the 
  

   party 
  who 
  gave 
  me 
  the 
  scanty 
  information 
  below, 
  found 
  the 
  

   first 
  specimen 
  left 
  with 
  me. 
  

  

  The 
  apple 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  was 
  a 
  fine 
  looking 
  fall 
  

   pippin, 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  sound, 
  was 
  blown 
  from 
  the 
  tree 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  violent 
  wind-storm 
  at 
  night, 
  and 
  picked 
  up 
  the 
  next 
  day. 
  

  

  The 
  worm 
  was 
  coiled 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  fleshy 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  apple, 
  

   about 
  midway 
  between 
  the 
  skin 
  and 
  the 
  core. 
  It 
  was 
  

   white, 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  color 
  as 
  the 
  pulp, 
  and 
  when 
  uncoiled 
  

   measured 
  seven 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  about, 
  one- 
  fiftieth 
  of 
  an 
  

   inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  It 
  remained 
  quite 
  active 
  for 
  several 
  hours, 
  

   and 
  was 
  then 
  placed 
  in 
  alcohol. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  delivered 
  to 
  you 
  was 
  found 
  this 
  winter, 
  but 
  

   the 
  person 
  who 
  discovered 
  it 
  and 
  brought 
  it 
  to 
  me 
  could 
  give 
  

   me 
  no 
  definite 
  information 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  it. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

  

  Accompanying 
  the 
  above, 
  Mr. 
  Friend 
  also 
  writes 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  