Novel source of parasitological information.

Seldom if ever have parasitological insights been found in the great works of literature. Important observations on the transmammary transmission o f hookworm, however, may be found in a literary manuscript recently discovered in a Parisian archive. The concept of transmammary transmission is now well established, and while canine hookworm species are generally considered incapable of reaching maturity in man, they may well be capable of producing transient patent infections in neonates. The manuscript, to judge by its literary style, is clearly a fragment written by Marcel Proust (1871-1922) for his great seven-part masterpiece A la Recherche du Temps Perdu (Remembrance of Things Past) and perhaps it will appear in future editions. The manuscript was discovered by Professor C.A.M. Bell, who has kindly provided the following translation.