128 INSECTS AFFECTING DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
speech becoming suddenly much worse, I examined the interior of his mouth and 
found that a clear-cut opening had been made entirely through the soft palate into 
his mouth and large enough to insert the end of a common lead pencil. Saturday 
the few remaining larve began changing color and one by one dropped away. On 
Sunday for the first time hemorrhage from both nostrils took place, which continued 
at intervals for three days, but was not at any time severe. On this day the patient 
began to improve, the delirium and erysipelas having subsided, leaving but little or 
no annoyance in his head. In a few days he became able to go about home, and y 
even to walk a distance of half a mile to visit a friend and return. But while there 
he began complaining of a pain in the neighborhood of his left ear, apparently where 
the eustachian tube connects with the middle ear. It proved to be an abscess. 
Being already so reduced by the first attack, he was unable to withstand the second, 
and died after an illness of nearly three weeks, completely exhausted by his pro- 
longed sufferings. Three days before his death the abscess discharged its contents 
by the left nostril. The quantity of pus formed was about 24 ounces [78 grams]. 
“In all about 250 larve were taken away from him during the first attack, and, 
as the visible results, not only had they cut the hole through the soft palate, but 
had also eaten the cartilage of the septum of the nose so nearly through as to give 
him the appearance of having a broken nose. The case occupied, from the first 
invasion of the fly to its final result, nearly two months. He doubtless would have 
recovered but for the formation of the abscess, which, from all the symptoms, was 
caused by one or more of the larve having found their way up the left eustachian 
tube.” 
Dr. Richardson also quotes the Rev. William Dixon, of Green, Clay County, Kans., 
as giving the following account of his own experience: 
“While riding in his buggy a few years ago in Texas a screw fly attacked him, 
flying up one nostril. He blew it out, when it dashed up the other and deposited its 
eggs before he was able to expel it. Not realizing the danger, he did nothing for 
about three days, when the pain became so great that he hastened to Austin to con- 
sult a physician. His soft palate was almost destroyed before the larve, over 200 in 
number, were expelled.” 
This was the only one of twelve cases known to Dr. Richardson in which the 
patient recovered. 
AS A PEST OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
Until recently the references to the attacks of this species on domes- 
tic animals have been of a very fragmentary character, but the papers 
by Morgan, Weed, and Francis have brought its true importance into 
prominence. 
Its greatest injuries for the United States have occurred in Texas, 
and the Texas Experiment Station early began the study of its habits. 
Prof. G. W. Curtis, formerly director of that station, wrote to me at 
considerable length regarding the pests, kindly sending me specimens 
of the various stages, and I can hardly better present the relation of 
the pest to the stock industry of that State than to extract from a 
letter dated December 15, 1888: 
I am sorry I have not more time to answer your questions about the so-called 
“screw-worm” of Texas. 
Ihave been closely interested in practical stock raising in this county for nearly 
six years; always in charge of the college stock and part of the time privately with 
stock of my own, and I am free to confess that the man who can find a cheap, expe- 
ditious, and effective preventive or remedy of the screw-worm will confer a blessing 
fitly measured by the enormous firancial benefit which would accrue. 
