Ch. VII. SOUTH AM^ERICA. 67 



flames the glands of the groin, and the pain continues, 

 without abatement, till the nigua is extra6led, that 

 being the only remedy; after v/hich, the fwelling fub- 

 fides, and the pain ceafes, thofe glands correfponding 

 with the foot, where the caufe of the pain refided. 

 The true caufe of this apparently ftrange elTed, I fhall 

 not undertake to inveftigate ; the general opinion is, 

 that fome fmall mufcles extending from thofe glands 

 to the feet, being affected by the poifon of the bite^ 

 communicate it to the glands, from whence proceed 

 the pain and inflammation. All I can affirm is, that 

 I have often experienced it, and at firil with no fniali 

 concern till having frequently obferved, that theie 

 effects ceafed on extrading^ the nio-ua, I thence con- 

 eluded it to be the true caufe of the diforder. The 

 fame thing happened to all the French academicians, 

 who accompanied us in this expedition, and particularly 

 to M. de JufTieu, botanift to the king of France, whom 

 frequent experience of thefe kinds of accidents taught 

 to divide thefe infedls into two kinds. 



As the preceding animals and infe6ls chiefly exer- 

 cife their malignant qualities on the human fpecies, fo 

 there are others which damage and deilroy the furni- 

 ture of houfes, particularly all kind of hangings, whe- 

 ther of cloth, linen, filk, gold or filver ftufls, or laces; 

 and indeed every thing, except thofe of folid metal, 

 where their voracity feems to be wearied out by the re- 

 fiftance. This infect, called com.egen, is nothing more 

 than a kind of m.oth or ma^o-ot ; but fo expeditious 

 in its depredations, that in a very fhort time it entire- 

 ly reduces to duft one or more bales of merchandize 

 where it happens to fallen ; and, without altering the 

 form, perforates it through and through, w'nh a fub- 

 tility which is not perceived till it comes to be hand- 

 led, and then, inftead of thick cloth or linen, one finds 

 only fmall fbreads and duft. At all times the lirideit 

 attention is requiOte to prevent fuch accidents, but 

 chiefly at the arrival of the galleons for then it may 



F 2 do 



I 



