Remarks on Dracunculus. 369 



the face of well established facts, namely, that the parasites 

 of certain fishes, horses, &c. are the same as those found in 

 the human body. Not only are the parasites of fishes differ- 

 ent from those of the human subject, but each species of 

 fish in which they occur seems to have parasites peculiar 

 to itself; nor have any of these been found in the bodies of 

 mammalia, nor have those of the mammalia been found in the 

 human subject. Indeed this is altogether a terra incognita 

 in the philosophical world, and one of the first objects of 

 research should be to determine whether the same parasites 

 are peculiar to the same animal in parts of the world remote 

 from each other, or whether parasites, like most other beings, 

 are confined to certain geographical divisions, and if they are 

 subject to laws of distribution independent of those of the 

 animals they inhabit. Let us commence with the parasites 

 of the human species, as most important, and inquire — 



1. If there be more species of Dracunculus in India than 

 one?* 



2. If any species corresponding with this, or these, inha- 

 bit the waters or soils of any part of India ? 



3. What are the species inhabiting waters, soils, plants, 

 or animals in India, corresponding most closely with Dracun- 

 culus ? 



4. Is Dracunculus in India the Guinea-worm of Africa, 

 and Malis dracuncula of the West Indies ? The method of 

 proceeding should be by extensive analysis of what has been 

 done on the subject hitherto — by copious notes on the deve- 

 lopment of the disease in different districts, and on the ha- 

 bits of corresponding parasites in other bodies, as well as on 

 the worms of ponds, plants, and soils ; in all cases collecting 

 and preserving specimens in spirits of the animals alluded to ; 



* Before we could do much in this inquiry it would be necessary to 

 consult the work of Professor Rudolphi, on the entozoa of the human 

 body, of which we can find no copy in Calcutta. It is barbarous to 

 quote Linnaeus as an authority on this subject. 



