THE NEW PARASITIC MITE “ACARUS INCAP- 
SULATOR,” or “SARCOPTES TRICHO- 
GENETOS” (Boeking). 
A MICROSCOPIC STUDY AND REPLY. 
RUDOLPH MENGER. M.D., 
San Antonio, Texas. The New Parasitic Mite “Acarus Incapsulator,” or “Sar- 
coptes Tricho-Genetos” (Boeking)—A Microscopic 
Study and Reply. 
San Antonio, Texas, September 25, 1896. 
To the Editors of the Texas Medical Nevis: 
The letter of Dr. Reynolds in the Texas Medical News, Septem- 
ber issue, needs an explanation, which I hereby give, with your 
permission, in justice to myself and friends. In the first place, 
the assertion stated by Dr. Reynolds, that I had published state- 
ments in the Texas Medical News “that Dr. Fleming says he 
(Fleming) never wrote,” is absolutely incorrect. Fortunately I 
have all the communications of Fleming and Reynolds on file 
before me, and every word or sentence that I did mention, as 
far as Dr. Fleming’s statements are concerned, is a true copy of 
his letters and from an article he had prepared for publication, 
and which was to be read before the State Medical Association. I 
just now received a letter from Dr. Fleming, anent Dr. Rey- 
nolds’ letter to the News, stating that my reports from his doc- 
uments were entirely correct, and that he never denied it to any 
one. The facts are, Dr. Fleming and Prof. Boeking and myself 
gave our opinions frankly to the public, according to such facts 
as we were able to obtain, and. that Reynolds had sent scrapings 
and other material taken from his body, containing foreign bodies, 
for me to examine for him microscopically, was not my fault. 
But this fact remains, that, besides some unavoidable foreign 
material the products contained, on examination, after proper 
preparation and mounting, a number of cuticular remnants and 
deeper seated products, calcarious deposits, remnants of larva- 
sheds and a species of acari or mites, some of which were intra— 
and some extra capsular, i. e.: incased in an oblong or globular 
shell-like calcarious substance, the inner casing being of yel- 
lowish brown color and semi-transparent, in which, on showing 
the slide to Dr. Boeking, jve found plainly visible outlines of 
some larva in the funnel-shaped casing, also in other micros- 2 
copic mountings remnants of tibrillse, from all appearance muscu- 
lar, many of which were in bundles or isolated, and some inter- 
woven into an oblong body. After making these statements 
public in our reports, Reynolds tenaciously refused and still re- 
fuses the profession a fresh supply of material, which latter was 
and now yet is asked for, in order to either verify or dispute 
our reports. Dr. Boeking will have an especial paper on this 
latter subject of the larva encasings and his opinion of the new 
mite in a short time for publication. And now, let us argue a 
little more: How can Dr. Reynolds state that my conclusions 
were made from “very imperfect” and “incorrect misrepresen- 
tation of the facts in the case,” when it is known that I gave his 
case the closest and most impartial attention, sending, for my 
own satisfaction, some of the few slides 1 had preserved to the 
Smithsonian Institute, and to Dr. Herff, Dr. Boeking and to 
Prof. Virchow at Berlin ? It is not Reynolds, but myself and 
Dr. Boeking who took such deep interest in his case, and lately 
Prof. Allen J. Smith, of Galveston, also; but Reynolds says “in 
due time he will make a full and correct report.” Now, in all 
frankness, how can Reynolds do this without a close micros- 
copic examination, which, he told me, he was now unable to do 
on account of his eye-sight and want of a good microscope. 
What are Reynold’s stated “animalcules” composed of histolog- 
ically? Theories and denunciations may be well enough if 
properly applied, but erroneous or misrepresented statements 
will not do in scientific research, and will sooner or later come 
to light. Until now, I believe 1 can say concientiously, none of 
our statements of microscopic research have been contradicted 
by competent investigators. 
As to the mite found the Smithsonians admitted that they 
could not sa}r if it was a tyroglyphus siro or not, but they cor- 
roborated my statements by saying that they found, besides cu- 
ticular remnants, the larva of this same mite. Dr. Reynolds 
calls his “parasites” “animalcule,” without having made mi- 
croscopic examinations, as far as I am informed, and these “an- 
imalcule” are undoubtedly the cystic degenerated bodies ex- 
pelled through his derma, and described already, and which, we 
have evidence, can lie considered as expelled trichina capsules, 
and our sarcoptes to be the real trichina mite. Dr. Boeking 3 
will explain this more fully in time, and we are awaiting an an- 
swer from Dr. Virchow on the subject. If wre are mistaken we 
will certainly yield to a better opinion, but it must be proven 
by direct investigation that we are on the wrong track. 
At any rate, there are anatomical features in our parasite that 
denotes it more closely as a species of sarcoptes or sarcophagus— 
not “glycophagus”—feeding on proteid substances,—so far un- 
known to science, and I have other evidence, for instance, a 
statement of Prof. Allen Smith, Texas University, the distin- 
guished pathologist, who has carefully examined this parasite 
and who writes to me, that by all probability he is inclined to 
call it a sarcoptes species, and that he has been investigating it 
thoroughly, but was unable to classify it so far, or find anything like 
it in our literature. When 1 first found it among the calcarious 
and cuticular, etc., remnants, its bodyappeared contracted, and 
1 succeeded in isolating it on the same objective glass and mount- 
ing it separately. It even now had the feet contracted (it will 
be reminded that, of course, all the material sent by Dr. Rey- 
nolds and Dr. Fleming was dried up,—consequently also this 
acarus and some of the larva, but it was easily macerated in gly- 
cerine and acetic acid, showing, besides these, the outlines of all 
objects perfect); but, from some accidental pressure on the cover- 
glass, a few days later, all eight legs were spread out, and it 
became then the much admired, discussed, and abused acarus— 
now probably in the hands of Virchow, if it safely crossed the 
ocean. A previous micro-photo of a similar acarus I may ex- 
plain again to some of my friends of the West Texas Medical 
Society, was a failure, as the negative was partly ruined by 
holding it too close to an electric lamp for examination before it 
was dry, when the gelatina partly melted and so ruined the 
printing of same. Nevertheless, the acarus just described, and 
found between remnants of the Reynold scrapings, was a good 
specimen for micro-photography, and I made several tine copies 
of same, as seen on the engravings. 
I was well aware at the moment I detected some of these 
acari in the material sent by Drs. Reynolds and Fleming, that 
they may be nothing but some of the common sugar or sweet 
mites (glycophagi) occasionally met with in fruit of all kinds, 
sugar, flower, etc.; but, on closer investigation and compar- 4 
ison with such mites later, I was perfectly convinced that this 
mite is a new species. Here is what one authority says of mites 
in general: “They are to be met with in almost anything that 
contains sugar, amylum or nitrogen, in organic or unorganic 
compounds, but there are substances in which so far they do 
A. The parasitic mite; legs fully stretched out. (x : ab. 400.) 
(The position of the hair or bristles on hind body and the legs is correctly 
copied, but the fine short hair along the feet and body are superfluous, 
—else the engraving is a true and fine copy of the original micro-photo.) 
B. Globular cystic body with remnant of larva cast in the interior cystic in- 
closure. (x : ab. 200.) 
C. Larva of the same acarus. (x : ab. 500.) 
D. Oval or pearshaped cystic body with funnelshaped outlet, (x : ab. 200.) 
E. The parasite with feet contracted, (x : ab. 300.) 
F. General appearance of the raw material sent for examination. 
G. Dot in centre of ring showing the normal size of the parasite. 
H. Largest size of the globular, dark brown opaque bodies. 5 
not occur, and that amongst other things is the case with soft 
fats and oils (how about R.’s cold cream?), and what is the effi- 
cient part in the common louse or itch ointments if not the fat?— 
because it enters into the trachea and chokes the malefactor, 
the sulfur, etc., being only an adjuvant to accelerate the pro- 
cess.” 
Dr. Reynolds says the Smithsonians called our mite a utyro- 
glyphus siro”—cheesemite. Now, this is not exactly what the 
experts did say. They said it resembled somewhat the T. siro, 
“but whether it is the same or not we are unable to say.” Besides 
this (after citing some instances in which tyroglyphi were found) 
they remarked: “Those cases show that tyroglyphi may occa- 
sionally produce a disease similar to sarcoptes scabiei.” These 
are candit statements of the Smithsonians and the more highly 
respected, as I overheard Dr. Boecking state that this branch 
of the acarinaj (tyroglyphi and sarcoptes), in some genera, were 
not as yet satisfactorily studied, and that it was therefore re- 
quested (by some Smithsonian expert) to not criticise the matter 
too severely. In the American Medico-Surgical Bulletin of 
August 22d, 1896, mention is made in “Texas Letter” 
from a private letter of Dr. Reynolds) of the following: “the 
only perfect specimen of Dr. Menger was obtained from scrap- 
ings which contained a large amount of cold cream ”—that con- 
sequently, that only perfect specimen was a species of cheese- 
mite or other, living in the cold cream, “and not at all the skin- 
parasite which has caused him so much suffering for the last year”; 
and in the Texas Medical News, page 495, Dr. Reynolds says 
also in his letter: “the Smithsonians were correct in classify- 
ing the animalcules of this photo as a tyroglyphus siro—cheese- 
mite,—which were scrapings from a lotion of sweet cream, 
which in time, by fermentation of the scrapings, produced the 
cheesemite. The Menger and Boecking report are based upon 
this cheesemite.” 
Now, only a few more remarks about this interesting little 
controversy. Organic substances undergoing the process of 
fermentation generally show under microscopic investigation a 
vast number of different types of bacteria;; remnants of fibrous 
or cellular material, and all sorts of tissue detritus, etc.,—per- 
haps, of course, also mites; but these, it has been shown, and I 6 
may be allowed to further explain, do not originate or feed in a 
lotion of cold cream, for this reason: One of the main ingredi- 
ents of cold cream is glycerine, and this glycerine is the essential 
sweet principle of oils and fat, and it is rather antagonistic 
towards fermentation. There were no signs, either macro-nor 
microscopically, of fermentation of the material examined; it 
was a dry, dark brown, and sand like or granular material. 
If you examine under the microscope the common cheese 
mite, or the fruitacari, mounted in glycerine, you will notice 
that those mites which are still alive will be struggling for their 
existence; there is a lively stretching and bending of the feet 
joints and body, and rolling around, until, in a very short time 
after mounting, perhaps only live minutes later, the ferocious 
movements of the mite gradually ceases,—they are paralized 
and die a few seconds later. This is what I have noticed dur- 
ing late investigations, and it shows that such mites cannot 
thrive in cold cream. And what our especial parasite is con- 
cerned, it is fully grown, a much smaller and more “bolder'” 
appearing acarus, hardly visible to the naked eye, and, as far 
as I could outline the endparts of the legs, under very high 
power, and as seen on the engraving, they showed, besides 
hooks or claws, a stirup-shaped discus or succing cup—charac- 
teristic of the sarcoptes species. 
In microphotography of course only such objects and out- 
lines can be copied which come under sharp focus of the lenses 
of the microscope, especially in making a photo of such objects 
as our mite under a very high magnifying power; for this rea- 
son the outlines of the terminal parts of the legs were not so 
sharply outlined as the rest of the body and legs and had to be 
outlined somewhat on the negative to make a print; also some 
of the very thin hair on the foot-joints were not plain enough 
on the photo-print, but I vouch for the correct position of these 
as the entire parasite in the engraving; the engraver having 
been instructed to be very careful in all the details, as laid be- 
fore him by the photos, negative and prints, and direct accurate 
drawing. And as further evidence of the correctness of our 
first opinion, I have just received (October 9, 1896) from Pro- 
fessor Smith, of Galveston, a very intresting and exhaustive 
report on the genus of our acarus. Dr. Smith states that he 7 
used as a guide, Megnin, uLes Parasites articules” in working 
out his ideas. The statements are too lengthy to include 
them all in this report, and I only mention the following points: 
“I have been looking up all the data I can get hold of in my 
endeavor to identify the dermal parasite. There seems to me 
to be no doubt of the parasite being an acarus. The mode of 
articulation of its legs, the fact of its having tive divisions to 
each limb, its chloliform or pincers like jaws in my mind place 
it surely among the sarcoptides. (Heie follows an exhaustive 
(Micro-photo by K, M„ July, 1896.) 
The same mite as before, magnified about 800 times, (considering the minuteness 
of the parasite, this may be csnsidered a fine piece of micro-photography of the 
original; time of exposure: 12 min.; extra lensappliances.) 
explanation on the tive tribes of the sarcoptes family) ...” 
(“It differs in being provided with a somewhat . . . integument, 
in having unequal limbs and, I believe dissimilar in having a 
distinct cleft in the abdominal extremity. Then, too, if it were 
not for the doctor’s statement to me by letter that the parasite 
was in some cold cream there would be no reason for seriously 8 
thinking of it, as these sarcoptes detriticoles (to which belongs 
the tyroglyphus) live on dead decaying animal and vegetable 
matter and are not parasitic). “It is not to be mixed up with 
the bird infesting sarcoptes (S. plumicoles)—the latter has all its 
legs well developed, and never even tending to be abortive (as 
in the last pair of the R’s parasite) and never produce painful 
or itching sensations; (by some poison in its bite) ...” I would 
place R’s parasite, from its shape, its somewhat striated or . . . 
coat, its undeveloped hind pair of legs, and its power to pro- 
duce itching, among the.true itch sarcoptides ...” “I believe 
the R. parasite to correspond with the genus of chorioptes. As 
to species, I am still uncertain, but believe it to be C. ecandafocs, 
...” 1 see no hairs on the third pair of legs (they are present 
on this parasite, but were unclear or not visible on the micro- 
photo. R. M.) and only two clearly on the abdominal border. I 
can not make out the dorsal plate, etc., since the photograph 
from which I must take my points, only gives the ventrel sur- 
face . . . etc. “Aside from these the description suits wTell, and 
if these differences are real I believe that at least the genus is 
correctly ffxed, and the species perhaps a new one. ” 
On page 496, Texas Medical News, Reynolds says, “after 
having seen his imperfect manner of mounting and micro-photos, 
and imperfect report and misrepresentations, I refused” . . . 
etc. Now, I will leave this to anyone who wants to believe it! 
I have a good conscience in this entire Reynolds’ matter,—being 
well aware of the intrinsic problems often encountered in such 
investigations and having handled the microscope under German 
authorities many years in Leipzig, Saxony,'and ever since my 
graduation thesis in 1874 on an important microscopic study. 
And, as to micro-photography, I will only state that for the last 
fifteen years I have off and on worked in this line, and have ac- 
cumulated perhaps one of the largest private collections of mi- 
croscopic photos on select objects in Texas, and I remind the pro- 
fession of the work I had done many years ago for Dr. Mc- 
Laughlin in aiding him in this line when he detected the dengue 
fever micrococcus, in samples of blood from dengue fever 
patients in the blood cells and serum prepared under strict 
precautionary and bacteriological measures, which, I may add, 
took a great deal of practical experience on my part and scientific 9 
experimentation, on account of the less powerful microscopic 
lenses I then used, but, nevertheless, achieved excellent results 
in reproducing the bacteria. (This sphaereo-bacterium was about 
tifteen times smaller than a blood corpuscle.) 
It is now evident, from further evidence, that the disease in 
R.’s case is seated deeper than the skin and sub-aponeurotic 
layers:—in the muscular spaces, the skin being the most resist- 
(Micro-photo by R. M., July, 1896.) 
Some of the raw material of Reynold’s disease, mounted in glycerine (without 
applying an acid) showing oval (lemonshaped) and globular bodies.—Small power. 
ing integument for the expellation of the foreign bodies. And, 
that the R. case is a very unique one per se and in medical 
literature has been already shown in a former article in the 
Texas Medical News, vol. 5, page 337, and there are absolute 
proofs that it is not a fake or a myth. Dr. Fleming told me 
that at one time he had the patient standing upon a large piece 10 
of newspaper and that, after applying vinegar to the upper ex- 
tremities and sweeping his hand over them, quite a quantity of 
the sand-like material fell down upon the paper below. Dr. 
Reynolds himself wrote to me also, in one of his many letters, 
that he was most of the time afflicted at night-time, and that in 
the morning often his bed-sheets were covered with the peculiar 
material, having barely had rest at night. And Dr. Boeking 
recalled to me an authentical case, somewhat similar to Reynolds’, 
in that that calcarious bodies were situated in this instance near 
to the cutis of the backpart of the neck. This happened in 
Germany some thirty-five years ago, said Boecking, when a 
patient, suffering from a tumor or some phlegmonous inflam- 
mation in his neck, was admitted into Langenbeck’s Clinik at 
Berlin. Langenbeck’s scalpel, on cutting through the tissues, 
came in contact with some calcarious substance, and this, on 
examination, proved to be trichinae capsules, and the fact was 
also established by three other witnesses, that many years ago 
this same patient, with two others, had partaken of trichinotic 
pork and had contracted trichinosis, but recovered, whilst the 
other two died of it. Reynolds’ case is the more extraordinarily 
interesting in that it seems to be the only case on record where, 
from all appearances, trichinae capsules and the transformed 
trichinamite, named by Dr. Boeking as “mrcopte* tricho-gene- 
netosare expelled through the derma in larger areas of the 
body. Dr. Fleming told me lately, on a visit to San Antonio, 
that formerly the sand-like material escaped more from the 
upper extremities, even the face, but that lately the disease 
seems to have a tendency to gravitate downwards, from the 
upper abdominal region to the thighs and lower extremities 
(from local symptoms manifested). This gravitating process 
towards the skin, Boeking thinks, has much to do in rounding 
the cystic bodies before being expelled. Some of these globular 
bodies (as seen in the illustrations, and drawn by an expert en- 
graver from some of my micro-photos). I may call attention again, 
and as explained in the Texas Medical News, vol. 5, page 342, 
were made transparent by the action of dilute nitric or acetic acid, 
which dissolved more or less the outer calcarious matter and 
showed the inside globular, semi-transparent and vetrious-like 11 
cystus with a delicate funnelshaped outlet on the surface; in 
some instances still showing remnants of a larva or puppacast. 
In a letter just received from Prof. Reynolds, he writes that 
he had removed any amount of sandlike scrapings, and that he 
had somewhat reduced the sandbeds that have formed in various 
parts of the skin, as on hips, sides and outer parts of thighs. 
This, if we consult authorities (Leuckart-, Geheimer-Medieinal- 
(Micro-photo by R. M., July, 1896.) 
Some of the globular bodies; the smaller one in middle incasing rt mnant of kar 
vashed or puppa, with funnel-shaped outlet below the globular cyst us. 
rath und Director des Zoologischen Jnstituts, Leipzig, Saxony: 
“ f ntermchungen uber Trichina spiralis,”) cases are mentioned? 
(although rare in this region) where the trichinae were deposited 
near the cutis in the glutaeal regions and near the thighs, and, 
I doubt not, there have occurred perhaps many similar cases of 
trichinosis where the real cause was overlooked and treated for 12 
some rheumatic trouble. As regards early history of trichinte, 
it is mentioned in Leuckart’s work that the flesh, in which Owen 
first had detected the parasitic worm, came from the corps of an 
Italian, who had died of Bright’s disease and lung tuberculosis 
in the Londoner St. Bartholomew Hospital, where the Hilton 
cysts had become known in the mean time. The capsules were 
at that time detected by the student Paget. They were so hard 
that ultimately the dissecting knives got dull on them, etc.” 
“There are but few discoveries in the realm of Helminthol- 
ogy, which, amongst professionals, especially anatomists and 
physicians, had made such enormous sensation, than the dis- 
cover}' of our trichinae, inasmuch as we had to deal not alone 
with an entirely unknown human parasite, but even more so 
with the fact, that this parasite invaded the humanDsystem up 
to the number of millions.” . . . “But, not alone English 
investigators were familiar with this parasite.” In the year 
1835 Henle,—then prosector in Berlin, could add to Owens’ dis- 
coveries, that he had detected trichinae capsules already in the 
winter of 1834-’35, but had judged them then as mere calcarious 
congregations, which, later he recognized as encasing worms.'1'' 
. . . u Vogel (Pathol. Anat., 1845) considered the cyst to 
be a Cocon, and Luschka, believed the cyst to be an embryoni- 
cal—or eggshell (the inner-incasing.) .... “Farrie and 
other former observers also spoke of an outer and inner cyst, 
. . . but the outer capsule Farre’s is a very delicate con- 
nective tissue surrounding, in the interior of which the oval or 
lemonshaped calcified capsule is situated, etc.” 
Before concluding this matter, the following explanatory 
views of Dr. Boecking, regarding the causal nexus between our 
mite and trichina spiralis, intended for publication in the News 
is hereby submitted to the careful perusal of the profession: 
“Dr. Menger, at the time of his first investigations, was kind 
enough to visit me for a consultation, and brought along with 
him the several original slides mounted by himself, together 
with his own microscope and a number of micro-photographs 
illustrative of the morbid products. In looking at the motley 
congeries of objects I discerned, besides unidentified material, 
that the major part of it was undoubtedly inorganic in sub- 
stance if not in origin, and apparently of a pathological nature: 13 
Lime detritus in two aspects: one a recently emerged wrhite 
paste, flown out in a liquid state and subsequently hardened, 
forming irregular white plates with their edges slightly rounded 
off by mechanical rubbing, and possibly caused by the rem- 
edies applied to the patient; and secondly, an older granu- 
lated lime breccia, baked together in irregular lumps by infiltra- 
tion of serum, fat and Inematin. This latter formed about 75 
(Micro-photo by R. M., September, 1896.) 
Muscular trichina, incapsulated, and one stray trichina spiralis, not yet en- 
cysted. (From microscopic slide, by W’m. Barbeck, San Antonio.) 
[Above is included for comparison with the Reynolds’ products.] 
per cent, of the whole mass, and was of all shades, from a light 
yellow7 to the darkest brown. Interspersed with this miniature 
hardpan were numbers of organic vestiges, dermal abrasions 
and cast-offs, capilli, different bacilli, siliceous monocellular 
algae and shed skins of mites, all more or less either splashed 
with lime, or partly imbedded into the granular conglomerate. 14 
Hut the most remarkable feature was the occurrence of dead 
acarina, more or less travel-worn, but encysted in the mass and 
apparently in their natural situs. Likewise there were larva- 
casts of this acarus, adhering yet to the inside of the oval moulds, 
after the living occupant, by natural process, had left his habita- 
tion. This being a case altogether new to me, never having 
seen mites to encase themselves during whatever phase of their 
development, this feature focussed my whole attention, and set 
me to searching for a plausible causal nexus between an ara- 
chnidian and a lime cystus as neatly adapted to its contours as 
precluded prima facie accidental shaping. There was a certain 
familiar look about those egg pellets, but I failed for some time 
to locate them, and became lost in speculation. Where did that 
lime come from ? The mite could not have secreted it. Per- 
haps the body of the host furnished the material as well as the 
shape? But I was forced to abandon one conjecture after the 
other, till in despair I went further a held into neighboring 
territory. The crustaceans yielded as little consolation as the 
aquatic arachnoids; the annelids furnished plaster-workers plenty 
and to spare, true enough, but what had a serpala or a cestoda 
in common with a mite, beyond its evolutionary connexus? 
Gegenbaur had no balm for me, and Lacaze-Duthiers no text, 
until in turning the leaves of the last volume of Brehms “Thier- 
leben” my eye caught the word trichina, and the scales began to 
fall off of me. Those oval lime larva cases tallied with the 
trichina’s and in the same time must be the puporia of the acarus. 
Size, material, position in the host, and best of all, the whole 
symptomatology of the case removed it from the Held of cutan- 
eous affections proper, and stamped it as a disease the focus of 
which lay deeper than the cuticle. It was a case of true mus- 
cular trichinosis without a doubt, and the acarus, if not a rob- 
ber, w ho had ousted the legitimate occupant, must needs be the 
culminating phase of trichina spiralis itself: there was no getting 
around that fact, no other alternative being possible. A further 
going into the case convinced me, that the mite did not come 
from the outside, but generated inside the cutis, also that it wras 
not a double parasite, as larva cases with only one single outlet 
and that opened from the inside, can be discovered, and as the 
mite Hts too snugly and accurately into the house as to be able 15 
to turn about in it. Moreover, there are no traces of an old- 
fashioned trichina to lie found, such as are familiar to us coiled 
up, like the semi lunar fold in the human eye, in its berth when 
looked at in a less progressed and previous stadium. To lose 
no further words, the trichina of Richard Owen had ceased to 
be, and the “cystiglyphus trichogenetos” appears in its stead. 
The trichina mite, of which Dr. Menger shelled a splendidly 
preserved specimen out of its case, and which had passed the 
pores of the cutis unharmed, turns out by its morphology to 
belong to the proteid-feeding group; I have so far not been able 
to identify it with any known species, and as it presents features 
distinctly its own, I have provisionally named it as above, leav- 
ing the final nomenclature and systematic to later inquiry. 
As to the seeming vehemence, of letting an acarus come di- 
rectly from an annelide, I will recall here only the hair follicle 
mite, where we have the two joined in one and the same indi- 
vidual with the cephalothorax of the former and abdomen of 
the latter. And besides, as the late Geoffroy Saint Hilaire used 
to say, “Je ne saurais faire que ce qui est ne soits pas!” Facts 
are facts, and the multiplication of them must logically be fol- 
lowed by a change of theories. 
As the reader will see, the conclusions above come to are, be- 
sides upon the reports of two trustworthy medical men, entirely 
based on my part upon microscopical observation alone. To 
test their validity I suggest that the patient be persuaded to 
submit to inspection by the Roentgen rays, to settle the trich- 
inosis question, and that the germs Dr. Fleming speaks of be 
inoculated, technically, into all the animals, mammals as well as 
birds, which are known to be amenable to the malady. If this 
test succeeds, then the matter may be considered as finally 
settled; if it fails, then the result of this investigation will only 
add one more plague to the others already extant, and my cysti- 
glyphus must stand on its own legs. But from whichever aide 
we may look at the matter, the case is unique and ought to be 
profited by as long as it lasts. We might eventually have to 
wait another thirty years before a like chance occurs. 
A. E. Boecking, Ph. D. 
San Antonio, Texas, October 16, 1896. 16 
I now add here some more data, most of which was contained 
in my article in the News in June (Vol. V, No. 8) so that the 
readers may better understand the matter and make their own 
conclusions. In an especial letter of inquiry (April 6th, 1896) 
concerning the symptomatology, Dr. Fleming had kindly favored 
me with the following data: 
“The patient is a man 74 years old. About eight months ago 
(it will now be about one year and 3 months, and he is still 
afflicted) he became afflicted with the disease, and has been a 
great sufferer ever since. The animalcules are all over his 
body, more particularly on the thighs and arms and between 
the toes. 
“The disease appears with small pimples here and there, from 
a pale to a fiery red, and at times under treatment will appear 
apparently well, but on application of ointments or lotions re- 
appear in greater or less and larger and smaller pimples.” “The 
disease is not attended with itching, but when very red has a 
slight burning sensation. The animaculi, it seems, on matur- 
ing, emerge from the skin, and in some cases seem to dis- 
charge germs covering a space more or less dense from a half 
to two inches in diameter.” “The various remedies I have used 
have caused many of all sizes to come to the surface, some bore 
under the skin again, and although I have picked oft' thousands, 
I have never seen one move, yet one of the great annoyances to 
the patient is their crawling on the skin, and biting is much 
like a flea or a chinch, and often so rapid is it done that a per- 
son has to be quick or it will bore in before you can pick it off 
with the point of a knife.” “The bites and pimples never sup- 
purate nor exude serum, but often from the use of lotions and 
ointments are difficult to heal, the animalcules remaining and re- 
sisting all remedies to a great degree, and whilst many disap- 
pear under treatment, others are very annoying and painful, as 
though feeding on the tissues.”— * * * 
“I assure you that every particle of the- samples I sent you 
came from his body,—he never has taken a sand bath; he always 
washes himself in hot water, as it seems to give him more re- 
lief. I have watched him closely for six months and have tried 
every known remedy with no success. The particles of sand- 
like material or shells, or whatever it is, all come from him, and 17 
are not put on him by washing or any application. When 1 use 
vinegar on him there will come out on his body more sand or 
shells, and in the morning his body contains more than in the 
day time, keeping him awake through the night, which annoys 
him so he rests barely at night. I have scraped regular barna- 
cles formed by the insects at night from between his toes and 
creases of the arms and elbows,” etc. 
With the exception that the animalcules were noticed over the 
entire body even on his head and eyelids, as the professor told 
me personally when on a visit to San Antonio, the symptoms as 
here stated would tally with those of the common itch sarcoptes, 
but, as seen, had the patient the usual itch plague, there cer- 
tainly would have easily been found numerous remnants of the 
itch parasite and its larvae, ova, etc., and then the itch disease is 
easily amenable to anti-parasitic treatment. The parasites found, 
(either entire or in remnants (incrustated) were dead acarinae, 
and the eight-legged acarus is some new—at least so far, unde- 
fined species of sarcoptes, and the main question presents itself: 
“Are they consequence or coincidence of the disease?” and, from 
the pathological products expelled, some of which showed larva 
or pappa encasings, the latter seems very probable. And, right 
here, gentlemen, in order to show the profession how little I and 
my friend Dr. Boeckiug had failed in giving this matter of Rey- 
nolds a thorough investigation, I ha\Qprima facie evidence from 
the old gentleman himself ! In a letter which accidentally came 
into my hands a few days ago, and which 1 copy in the interest of 
science, Professor Reynolds gives a close observation of his 
case,—considering the fact that he made these observations 
without the aid of a miscroscope (using a solar lense, I suppose). 
Here is a part of his statements: 
“They range (our calcarious cystic bodies) from a very small 
black speck up to a good-sized mustard seed, of different forms 
and species .... of globular, oval, oblong oval, cylin- 
drical, tubal and cono-spiral form.” . . . “few escape my 
feel.” “When they emerge they are all dark colored, and 
change by exposure.” . . . . “I have often taken numer- 
ous of the small black young out of the apparent sack (our 
“cystus”) of the female animalculi, and the vinegar may have 
extracted the calcarious matter and made it friable.” (This com- 18 
•pares with ray statements of the calcarious bodies treated, be- 
fore mounting, with dilute nitric or acetic acid!) “I have ex- 
tracted and separated many into two or three to a dozen small 
aniraalcular shells of regular form, generally globular.” (This 
also corresponds with my first report, where the dark brown, 
black or red-colored calcarious formations were conglomerated 
and apparently infiltrated with tissue detritus and hsematin ex- 
tracts (brown, black and red).” .... 
The general histology of our globular or oval bodies undoubt- 
edly correspond with that of the cystus in trichina spiralis in its 
calcified state. I have found and shown by photo illustrations 
the near relation in form, size and color of these bodies, and 
that the globular or lemon form predominates. Through the 
mechanical rotating process of these calcarious parasitic bodies 
in being brought from the deeper muscular layers until ex- 
pelled through the derma of the patient, the surrounding tis- 
sues of the cystus is naturally converted into a more solid and 
'more globular formation. 
Still later (October.30th, 1896), Professor Reynolds writes me, 
in a friendly letter, that he has so recovered “as to be tottering 
around, but cannot walk so erect and straight, and trembles, as 
when visiting San Antonio. “The disease still stubbornly resists 
all treatment—sometimes a little better, and then [again [worse. 
“Had you been here yesterday, while anounting and scraping, 
you could have taken off animalcules, etc., to your heart’s con- 
tent, of different order and genere and species of molusks, radi- 
ates, .... and cryptogami, and any amount of fine sand-like 
scrapings Professor , of St. Louis, whom I 
send samples, reported abundance of sand and vegetable, matter 
(cryptogami) and short hairs, etc.”—. Now, without'wishing 
’to criticise the later statements, 1 will repeat again)what the 
direct result of my microscopic examinations were (I make these 
statements entirely independent of Dr. Boecking’s). In the first 
place, R.’s subcutaneous detritus, (foreign substances proper,) 
expelled through the derma, was no sand, although it had the 
general macroscopic appearance of same. If sand be examined, 
clean dry sand, or such taken from the bottom of the sea 
mounted in glycerine, one mass of crystalline, glass-like mater- 
ial, will be noticed; in the latter also infusoria and diatomes and 19 
vegetable remnants (trip to Rockport, September, 1896), but 
this sand, nor the dry clean sand, contains an}*- carbonate of lime 
at least only in very minimal quantities, and therefore does not 
effervesce on applying an acid. In applying an'acid to the R.’s 
material though, the larger bulk of it, and in particular also the 
oval or lemonshaped incrustations will at once commence to de- 
velop carbonic acid eras on applying the acid, and many of them 
crumble up into an amorphous brown powder, in some instances 
exposing a globular or oval hyaline cystic body. Besides, these 
calcarious and silicious transformed bodies, lime deposits, etc., 
the speci-mens contained numerous bacilli or rods (short and 
partially curved, band-like, transparent and highly refractive 
(silicious?) fibres of beautiful red or blue color); also capilli, 
but very sparingly; also cuticular abrasions and shed skins and 
remnants of pupparia. 
Dr. A. E. Boeking, now in Fredricksburg, Texas, who, as 
stated in my previous article in the Texas Medical News, is an 
expert in medico-zoological questions, stated to me in a pre- 
vious communication, in commenting on the parasitic mite, 
that there is more important material, biological as well as med- 
ical, under the surface of this seemingly trival question, whether 
our acarus be a glycopagus or a sarcophage, than appears to one 
not initiated in this especial case, and as it is the purpose of this 
paper to communicate all possible data in connection with it, I 
will state the main points of Boeking’s letter, which, in connec- 
tion with a number of micro-photos, and the mite itself, I had 
forwarded to Professor Virchow, at Berlin. Boeking said: 
“As soon as I had ascertained the connection of the lime cys- 
tus with the acarus, by finding the six-legged larva of it in its 
inside, the question for me was solved—that the mite was a 
novum, no parallel hitherto being known to science of mites en- 
casing themselves. In further investigating, I found that the 
eystus is not formed by the mite, but by the old host, because 
the calcification did not stop after maturity of the larva into the 
perfect acarus, but went on filling out the empty capsule, or else 
enveloping the left skin. For the students of parasites the par- 
allelism with the muscle trichina lies too near not to obtrude 
itself, and the natural question arises: Is there any possible 
causalnexus between the two? Formerly, such a question would 20 
have been relegated to limbo, but in our evolution age the ques- 
tion is altogether legitimate. After Virchow’s monograph, it 
has tacitly been assumed, that the parasite (intrichinosis) is the 
housebuilder, but the direct question seems never to have obvi- 
ated itself to anybody. In the case of trichina, there certainly 
stands not the difficulty in the way which in the case of acarus 
is obvious.” 
In conclusion, I beg to remark that the above statements, 
especially those from correspendence, were necessarily in- 
cluded herein in order to give a clear view of this matter, sub- 
mitted to me for investigation, and I have no other motive but 
the deep interest taken in this case of Reynolds’ in publishing 
the results. If mistaken, or otherwise informed by better au- 
thorities, I will be only too glad to take the consequences. We 
have here to deal, from all stated direct evidences, with a 
chronic and very unusual disease, over 16 months standing— 
entirely uncontagious; and, so exceedingly interesting this case 
will prove, if substantiated,—(which I have no doubt about),— 
that it revolutionizes all heretofore known experience regard- 
ing trichinosis, namely: in the production, through different 
stages of metamorphosis, a mite out of a worm—Boecking’s 
trichina mite, and the final disposal of the trichina capsules and 
other remnants through the cuticle of the patient. 
Very respectfully submitted, 
Rudoijph Menger, M. D. 
San Antonio, Texas, October, 1896.