Researches into the structure and development of a newly discovered parasitic animalcule of the human skin, the entozoon folliculorum / by Erasmus Wilson.

  • Wilson, Erasmus, Sir, 1809-1884.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Researches into the structure and development of a newly discovered parasitic animalcule of the human skin, the entozoon folliculorum / by Erasmus Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    arguments for regarding it as an Annelidan. While, on the other hand, Mr. Gray of the British Museum, to whom I submitted the animal, considers it to be allied to the Entomostracous Crustacea, to that group of animals intermediate between worms and insects, of which De Blainville speaks in the following terms :—“ Genre d’ani- maux tellement bizarres au premier aspect, que les zoologistes sont encore fort peu d’accord sur la place qu’ils doivent assignor a ce groupe dans la serie aniinale”*. Note.—The foregoing paper was first communicated to the Royal Society in De- cember 1842 and was read in March 1843 ; previously to being again communicated it was remodelled, the facts remaining the same.—E. W. Explanation of the Plates. PLATE XV. The whole of the figures, with a few exceptions stated in the references, are drawn to a scale of one line to the of an inch. Fig. 1. A dorsal view of the long variety; showing tegumentary and internal texture. This animal measured ^3- of an inch in length. Fig. 2. A side view of the same. Fig. 3. A ventral view of the same animal; the mouth is well shown. Fig. 4. The short variety; a dorsal view, the head retracted, and seen through the transparent integument of the thorax. The specimen measured of an inch in length. Fig. 5. The same animal; seen upon its ventral surface. It will be remarked that these figures are not extremes of measurement; but the difference between them is nevertheless very striking. In addition to relative length of abdomen, the caudal extremity forms a conspicuous character. Fig. 6. A group of animals found in the sebaceous substance of a living person. This and the two following figures are not drawn to a scale. Fig. 7- A similar group, situated within a hair-follicle. Fig. 8. This figure represents a hair-follicle, with two sebaceous glands opening into it. An Entozoon folliculorum is seen between the cylinder of the hair and the follicle. It must be remembered that the hair is one of the minute downy hairs of the skin. Fig. 9. The head, viewed upon its under surface. a. One of the cephalic palpi, curved downwards; its prismoid truncated extremity is seen, as also the phalanges. h. A spine or tubercle on its penultimate segment. c. The reniform body. d. The antennee-like palpi. e. The four labral palpi. * Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles. Article Lernee.