Five letters to Sir Joseph Banks ... on the subject of cochineal insects, discovered at Madras / [James Anderson].

  • James Anderson
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Five letters to Sir Joseph Banks ... on the subject of cochineal insects, discovered at Madras / [James Anderson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/20 (page 9)
    After the account I have given of the Phyllanthus Emhlica Inlefl, fomuch agreeing with the Female Cochineal del'cribed in the Philofophical Tranfac- tions, it may perhaps be cxpedlcd the Male Fly fhould likewife correfpond—^ but believing your learned focicty to have more liberal ideas of narure, I muft without referve acquaint you he is confiderably different, altho’ not fo much fo as to remove him from the genus Coccus. AntenntXy are as long as the body of the Infefl:, having a remarkable joint at their iniertion and ten other articulations juft perceptible with the afliftance of the Microfeope. The Eyes,, large jet-black fpots, one on each fide of the Head. The Head, globular, and fet clofelyon the Thorax. The whole Head fthe Eyes excepted) Thorax and Abdomen, are of a h©» mogeneous, tranfparent, appearance, like Amber in colour. The wings only two in number, ‘procumbent, and twice as long as the Abdomen—At the extremiry of the Abdomen, are two little knobs, l.ke the commencement of hairs, accompanying this is likewife a Drawing by Baron Reichcl, marked No. 12. Although I have not yet been fuccefsful in feeding this Infed on the Opvntia, yet as the leaf of the Chindel Coddi is fo large and fmooth, it is ufed here as a plaifttr for the maturation of Boils—1 have placed a row of the Phnts round one of mv Plantations of Opuntia, with a view to colieft the Infects from it, juft before they begin to fpin their v/eb. In the Vydeeoodoo Sha/ler,or Medical text of Darmantree, and I believe likewife in thiz oi Afbvanadevudo'j, v/ritings of facred aurhority amongft the Bramin Phyficians of this part ot India, afugarmade from Decotftion of the 'lippa Tiga is direded as a remedy in a fpecics of their Nofology, named Vatum Mekum. Vatum means air or wind in the Sbajler writings, and Mskum, internal heat. All pains in the Limbs attended wdth fwelling, fuch as the Gout, Ar- thritis and Rheumatifm are claffed by Darmantree under the the head Vatum-,. and Mekum the head of Difeafes of heat; fo that Vatum Mekum. according to him is a compound Difeafe, arifing from redundance or de- compofition of air, and heat or Inflammation, 1