Jigger. — An insect that closely re sembles the common flea, and that in Cuba and Porto Rico demands to be specially guarded against, is the nigua, chigo, or jigger (Pulex penetrans). It is the female only that is annoying, and she is especially apt to work her way beneath the skin at the ankles, or pref erably at some part of the foot, most often between the toe-nail and the flesh, but sometimes between the toes. Hav ing buried herself, an intolerable itching results, which, at first is rather agreeable than otherwise, but after a few hours merges into most violent pain. At the same time a small, white, bladder-like tumor about the size of a pea, with a dark spot in the centre, develops under the skin.
The tumor is the rapidly-growing nest, developed from the posterior portion of the body of the chigo, and the black spot is the anterior portion of the little pest. —To rid the part of the ineumbrance, Mexican guides apply a lighted cigarette to the spot, the heat of which penetrates sufficiently to destroy the insect. But a somewhat more del icate operation is performed by negro women; with a fine needle they remove the skin from the little ball or nest pre cisely as one would peel an orange, and then making pressure with the thumbs, succeed in squeezing out the sac of eggs; the cavity is then filled with snuff or to bacco to guard against the possibility of development of any eggs that may acci dentally have escaped from the sac and have been left behind. The unaecli mated persons and all newcomers are especially subject to the attacks of the chigo. Excruciating, violent inflamma tion and even gangrene have resulted from neglected chigo-sores.
Sand-fly. — The minute sand-fly is more venomous than either the gnat or mosquito. it is most abundant near the water, but, unlike the latter, it does not haunt marshy districts and damp herb age, but rather sandy and ridgy ground. The remedial and preventive measures recommended in the case of mosquitoes are also useful here.
Vivigagua.—This is a species of ant that lives in considerable colonies in the West Indies, chiefly in and about the sugarcane fields. It bites with exceed ing fierceness, producing the impression that one has been pierced by a red-hot needle. IThfortunately there is no pro tection to be had from its onslaughts ex cept carefully burning over the ground before camping or using a liberal sprink ling of insect-powder, or of poke-root and borax mixed.
Diablito Colorado.—This is an exceed insect which lives in the grass and on shrubs in tropical regions. It is so minute that its presence can hardly be detected with the naked eye.
It has several names according to local ity, though diablito colorado (little red devil) is the prevailing one. Because of its bright-scarlet hue, the French col onists term it bete rouge. It abounds during the rainy season, and its bite causes intolerable itching, which, as Sehomburg expressed it, "by day drives the perspiration from every pore, and at night makes one's hammock resemble the gridiron on which St. Lawrence was roasted." Nevertheless the bites must not on any account be scratched, since if the skin is once broken or abraded a most ugly sore is apt to result that will be very difficult to heal.
Scorpion. — Scorpions are peculiar to the tropics and subtropics. They for the most part hide under stones, fallen tree trunks, in the roof, thatch, and dark corners of deserted huts, and obscure parts of inhabited dwellings; they often take possession, over night, of one's boots, stockings, or trousers. Their weapon is in the tail, and it is used by bringing the latter forward over the back and head; but the creature first endeavors to lay hold of the object it desires to sting with it claws, or lobster-like pincers. The stings of scorpions very rarely prove fatal except in young children. They are not dangerous to persons in good health, though considerable inflammation and swelling may be produced, and even per sist for a couple of days, along with slight fever; it is only in rare instances these symptoms present any marked de gree of severity. The American varieties of scorpion are much less virulent than their European, African, and Asiatic brethren.
— Scorpion-stings are easily relieved by camphor, rum, lemon juice, or solution of carbolic acid.
Centipede.—A centipede's bite is about as venomous as the sting of the scorpion, and may prove serious in children and persons weakened by excessive fatigue, disease, and the inordinate use of alco hol. Like the scorpion, it is apt to pene trate into crevices and other dark places, and it occasionally ensconces itself into the depths of a boot or shoe. Hence the advisability of always shaking out foot wear before putting it on in tropical countries. The venomous species may be recognized by the fact that its legs are quite short, and that each segment of the body bears a single pair of legs. The body is usually flattened and brownish yellow, and the antenme are long and many-jointed. The so-called "centipede" with long legs met with in Northern cli mates is not the true centipede.