Abstract
We are indebted to François Guyot (4. 10. 1742-13. 6. 1816) for the term "loa," designating a species of filaria, pathogenic in humans, which is common tropical West Africa. Biographical details about this French ship's surgeon are published here for the first time. On several slave-trading voyages between Africa and America, Guyot noticed that some of the negroes suffered from recurrent ophthalmia. He established that it was caused by a worm roaming around under the conjunctiva, and succeeded in extracting the parasite. In 26 May 1781 Guyot submitted a report on his findings to the "Académie Royale de Chirurgie" in Paris. This article discusses details of the report, which was hitherto believed lost.
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