464 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec., 'l6 



Effects of a Spider Bite (Arach., Aran.). 



[Really good spider-bite stories come in occasionally and are worth 

 placing on record. Therefore, I am sending you one of the latest, 

 most intelligent and circumstantial accounts which has come to me. 

 The spider was, in all probability, Latrodcctus mactans, as I have in- 

 formed Corporal Hutcheon. If you think it would be worth while to 

 publish it in the News, I trust that you will do so. L. O. HOWARD.] 



Richmond, Virginia, August 2, 1916. 

 DR. L. O. HOWARD, 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C. 

 Dear Doctor : 



I am taking the liberty of addressing this note to you in the thought 

 that the contents might be of interest to you. Last Tuesday I was 

 sitting in a tent conversing with one of my friends when suddenly I 

 felt something on the back of my neck and reaching back was horri- 

 fied to find that in my fingers I had gathered a vicious looking black 

 spider, and a sudden twinge in my neck made me realize that I had 

 been bitten. The first thing I did, however, was to strike a match 

 and put my foot on him. I immediately went to the squadron physi- 

 cian and stated the facts to him, whereupon it seems that he lanced 

 the spot several times and gathered therefrom a quantity of the venom 

 that this thing had injected. I went to my Captain and told him also, 

 and was given a slug of liquor with the advice that I retire, which I 

 did. I had not been in my cot more than fifteen minutes before the 

 poison started working, and I will say right here, that for the follow- 

 ing seventy-two hours I was in mortal agony. It affected every por- 

 tion of my anatomy in a different way ; the back of my head became 

 absolutely numb ; at the base of my spine it felt as though two healthy 

 labors had been inserted and some one with a strong breath was in- 

 flating both at the same time and that my back would burst. It was 

 then that two physicians were called and they worked on me for two 

 solid hours : morphine twice was given me internally and hypodermics 

 four times (which I understand now was nothing more than distilled 

 water), but nothing seemed to ease the pain. When daylight came I 

 had not closed my eyes, but lay groaning in the field hospital all night ; 

 my stomach became hard as steel and distorted, my feet swelled three 

 times normal size and felt as though hot irons were being applied, 

 my eyes swelled and felt as though they would burst. I lost absolute 

 use of both tracts, and could neither stool nor urinate, had the greatest 

 desire to double up into a bow knot, and for seventy-two hours in the 

 base hospital I lay in a cold perspiration. After four days in the 

 hospital I was released as being well. Am at my home in the countrv 

 now, but am far from being recovered. I have not regained the full 

 use of my lower limbs. Everyone to whom T relate this story seems 

 to doubt the seriousness of the case, and if this has been of interest 

 to you and will assist you in your studies I am sure a line from you 

 to corroborate my story will be appreciated. I am, 



Yours very truly, 

 (Signed) Corporal JAMES HUTCHEON. 



Troop R, ist Squadron, ist Cavalry, 



Va. National Guard. 

 Camp Henry C. Stuart, Richmond, Va. 



