San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-07


as their whole anatomy speaks
against such faculty. The cap
sules are not so thick as to hide
the contours, but thick enough to
make anything like legs, mouth.
parts, chitinous ridges, disks or
bristles disappear. Nevertheless
there is sufficient evidence to char
acterize them as a species OF sar.
copies mot hominis,) or else OF a
PterOptus strayed upon the pa
tient," etc.
In examining number Of other
slides which were prepared after
applying dilute nitric acid, in or
der TO dissolve the calcareous de-
posits, shells, etc., and mounting
in glycerine and acetic acid, l
fonnd a number Of larvae-rem-
nants, some yet encased in an OBJ
long funnel shaped canal with an
outlet, and also numerous degen-
Grated and partly incrusted para
sites, many OF which were con-
glomerated into a crab or scab.like
mass, apparently filtrated by old
hemOrhsgic deposits (haemat in,
and L found one especially fine
preserved parasite which after
showing it to DR.. Booking, l sent
to the Smithsonian Institute, for
classification. The result of the
classification OF this specimen by
the Smithsonians was rather a
surprise and DR.. Booking whom l
informed OF same, said:
1.-THE acsrus siro or domesticus
in its fully developed stage is an
Arachnidian of twice the length
of it's lateral diameter and from
it's upper surface might easily be
mistaken for a coleopterous insect.
am astonished to see the Wash
ington gentlemen upon what l
consider a spurious track. There
is nothing in the specimen sub
mitted to me with even assurances
to the glykophagus branch Of the
acarina, but everything to denote
tito be agenuine sarcoptes( Raspail)
a regular parasite living upon
warm animal and having every
salient criterion Of such. When
first investigating l thought OF
the possibility Of its being an
Argas (msrginalis) but the
Argas does not permanently
lodge upon his host, retreating
after having satisfied his hunger,
just as a bed-bug does. Having
only one we'll defined specimen at
my disposal, l did not wish to de-
termine specifically, but l am pre-
pared to prove that generiacally
cannot we'll have been misled.
San Antonio has no collection mol
literary vehicles to assist me, and
so am entirely reduced to mem
ory, but / doubt not that our
Smithsonian friends will just as
conscientiously do the business
for us and at small outlay Of time
and energy"
DIR. Booking has written to the
Smithsonian authorities in reply
to the opinion 1 received II ON, them
and called their attention to some
particular scientific works, which
he mentioned, in order to clear up
the matter more satisfactorily.
In one of his letters as stated,
DR.. Booking mentions the possi-
bility of a stray parasite Ptero-
plus of a bat having lodged on
the Doctors cuticular apparatus
such cases being on record and
for that reason / wrote to DIR.
Fleming il the professor had been
exposed in handling animal hides
etc. or had bats in his house and
what was the illnesses he has had
lately besides his affiiction in
question? to which DIR. Fleming
answered: Prof. Reynolds has
had no illness for the last ten
years, especially no rheumatism.
There are bats in the house he
lives in and when they moved
into the house last June or July
the cistern water was clear and
cold but very offensive; the Doc
tor used it for washing, ETC., but
no other. member Of his family
did. They had the cistern cleaned
out the later part Of August and
they removed about two barrels
of the most offensive and filthy
stuff. My theory has been that
is where he contracted the dis
ease. Now, although this be.
longs to one of the cretsrious in
the probable etiology Of Reynolds
disease, the same seems to me
after careful and elaborate study
and comparison, very prohlema-
tic. In the first place 1t seems
singular, that we hear Of no SINH
lar cases of cuticular affection as
REYNOLDS, for instance among
miners, blasters, farmers and per-
sons lodging in dwellings where
perhaps myriad OF bats are lodg-
ing. Then, the professor during
his eight months illness certainly
should have had occasion to COM
municate this trouble TO others,
but lastly a very minute mi
croscopic examination and COM
NTH Tho no rfip1aS that