Extract from Norris's Taunton Journal 1725-1727
29/12/1727
"James Richards of Milverton, aged about 70, died December 26, 1727. And was dissected by Mr. Cooksley a surgeon of Wellington, who took an animal out of his stomach, it's body was like a prawn, it's head like an evet, it's legs like a caterpillar, but so many that they were innumerable, from head to tail it was about an inch and a half in length and about an inch and half round it's body. The surgeon accidentally cut off part of the animal while he was opening the man's stomach, which occasioned a report that there were two of these creatures within him, however there was life in it after it was taken out, but soon died, and is since burnt at the request of the deceased daughter.
The said Richards was a last maker by trade and being at work in a wood about a year and a half since, he was very thirsty, and went to a small brook to drink, when kneeling down he put his mouth to the water, and drank freely, while he was drinking a toad appeared in the water and came towards him which much surpriz'd him and he fancied that he had drank something which came from the venemous creature. A few days after he felt something move within him, tho' at first but faintly yet in time it grew stronger and stronger. He took divers medicines from several hands to destroy the animal which was then in his body, but all to no purpose for he grew worse and worse. He often felt it crawl in his stomach and gnaw him which caus'd a violent pain, so that he was obliged to drink milk mixt water frequently, and eat bread and butter, which he found was agreeable to the palat of the creature, it being more quiet when he had eat and drank as above, tho' at other times when it wanted it's food it would gnaw violently, which at length ended the old man's days".
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