Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-05-03
DR.. Mitchell then gave an accocnt of
thu PARASITE al Insects.

ten infes the bodies of unciean per.
sons, was described as giving rise to
the disease called by the ancients, to
whom it was known, PhtheiriaSiS, OF
which the Roman Dictator Syila was
| memorable victim. Three instances
wete quoted as having occurred In the
city and neighborhood of New York.
Their excessive multiplication in such
cases, exceeds, as some think, all the
regular propagation. After desert
bling the other species of these perni-
cious vermin, preyiDg upon man, brute,
and fowl, the lecturer proceeded to
very particular description and classi.
fcat,on OF the family oil Ricinus, all of
which, though surprisingly numerous
and diversified, with the exception OF
single species, are confined to birds.
In the display of this branch of the
subject, he availed himself of the MI
mute chronological researches Of NJ.
Nitsch, the distinguished Professor OF
Natural History at Halle, in Saxony,
IS i,e has done throug nout OF those OF
Latriel.e, Cuvier, DorfeuilIe. and 9TH
ers. OF these Parasites, he said, 1t was
we'll ascer.ained that ve,al sorts in
infested single bird. The common
barn.door fowl nourisked as many as
five several sorts the hawk and crow
as many, and indeed the grea'er part OF
the iea hered race supported three or
four. The .HuSca Carnoria, or Car
rion Fly, was described as depositing
it's !arva in wounds and sores. and rem.
dering them thereby literally alive
! with maggots. The EStruS, or GOOD
FLY, was delneated as i, assembled the
| nose and occupied the frontal smuses
Of sheep, and another species occasion
ally invading the frontal and maxiilary
sinuses of man. It's psssag: was dc.
scribed as it penetrated he skin Of the
reindeer in Lspland, of neat cattle in
our own country, and OF man In South
America, producing the tumours called
Varbies. The Gstrus was also fol
lowed to the urking place Of the larvs,
through the mouth & fundament, with.
in the stomach and in,estines of the
horse, eusendering Bolts. The ugly
and annoying genus Of Hippobosca
was next noticed, and he history oithe
several species was sketehed, as they
gave pain, Vexation, and miseryto hor'
ses, birds, deer. and sheep-for the
common Sheep Tick is the Hippobosca
OUina.
After having discoursed Of several
more pernicious Parasites of the insect
class, Dr. NJ. proceeded to the fourth
head of his arrangement, which COM
pretended the Parasiticat Z0uphytes,
whic h are only known as the inhabl-
tants of other animal bodies, and are
SO constituted that they can live in no
other place, These monsters, which
no human care can guard against, no
prudence avoid, are bred within the
bodies of animals, where they some
times exist before birth, and are there
fore connate, They have been called
Intestinal, as inhaoiting the intes-
tiues-out they are by no means limit
cd to that residence, for they insinuate
into the hepatic duets. the cellular mem
brane. the blood vessels, the heart, the
brain. liver. lungs, and indeed the mot
sheltered and pro ected parts of the
body. The Ascaris, in his several
species, was distinctly noticed, as the
horrible inmates of the stomach and
intestinss, not only in man, but In
beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, & worms
themselves. So was the mischevious
TricocephaIuS, chiefly resting in the
epcum OF the manniferous creatures.
The Lernea, which anchors himself
i'm the sides of fish, and the FitdriG
that insinuates himself into the hesh,
among the muscles aud membranes, IN
man and other creatures, were pour.
trayed in almost shaddering terms. But
the theme became additionally int.
resting when the lee lrer desc' bed the
Strong yl,4s as devouring the kidneys
and penetrating into the arteries, ana
producing amen risms; the fasc'oea as
blocking up the gall duets, and OBJ
struc,ing the liver: the I9RiG as the
Unsuitable devourer Of the chyle, tbro'
the long circumvolutions of the ali
mentsry canal; and the Hydated, as
occupying station in almost every part
Of the internal frame, producing dole
full and formidable train Of symptoms
and diseases, in human beings especial.
ly, and also in other animals.
"Of all the seasons, Spring is the
most delightful Nature is..as it were