M E D I C A. 387 
all agreed that the diet was the principal caufe, but 
this was nothing new to me ; however, I am of 
opinion, that the miferable food of the poor peo- 
ple, and particularly the nourifhment they take 
great part of the year from melons, cucumbers, 
and all other kinds of ground fruit, deferve fome 
attention. One told me, that the Jews are troub- 
led with worms, becaufe they eat fo many fweet 
things j and the women in particular, eat more 
fweet meets, confections, pruins, &c. than other 
food. It is the general opinion, that fweet things 
nourilh at Ieaft, if not occafion, worms in children. 
The Turks live here as well as in other places on 
good and well dreffed victuals. Rice and flelh are 
their chief food. They likewife eat much fifh, 
but the poor cannot buy them. The fifli of the 
Nile do not perhaps contribute towards breeding 
worms, though we have reafon to believe, that 
the fifh of other rivers do. I made diligent en- 
quiry with refpeCt to the Signs , by which we may 
judge, whether anyone has the Tape-worm or not ; 
and was informed, that the fureft method is to ex- 
amine the ftomach and eyes, viz. when a blue 
ring is feen under the eyes, and when the ftomach 
fwells round the navel ; but I was told there is ne- 
ver occafion to fearch for more than one fign, and 
this is the fureft, viz. the Vermes cucurbitini 
(Gourd worms.) As foon as he knew that the pa- 
tient voided Gourd-worms, he never hefitated to 
prefcribe medicines againft the Tape-worm, and 
he never remembered to have been difappointed 
in his conjectures. It is very eafy to know here 
whether a patient has Gourd-worms, five perfons 
out of ten, and perhaps more, void them when 
they go to ftool, fome in confiderable numbers, 
and almoft all without attending to it, except when 
