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Sifting the published evidence, Prof. Riley, in bis article on ^' Poi- 

 sonous Insects," in Wood's Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences 

 (vol. V, 1887), makes the following statements, after some little discus- 

 sion of the characters and habits of the creatures considered : 



Scorpions. — * *f * They are dangerous iu proportion to their size, their age, 

 and the state of irritation they may be in. Temperature also influences the venom. 

 The wounds inflicted even by the largest species rarely prove fatal. <- * » There 

 is no doubt that the sting of certain kinds common in South America causes fever, 

 numbness in various parts of the body, tumors on the tongue, and dimness of sight, 

 which symptoms last from twenty-four to forty -eight hours. ' * ' The eflect of 

 the sting upon a person diminishes iu virulence with repetition, and may become 

 innocuous. 



Ceniipedes. — * * * The effect of the bite of a centipede iu warm climates is 

 very variable ; sometimes excessively virulent and painful, at others causing little 

 inconvenience. 



Taravtulas. — This popular term refers only to the large, hairy Theraphosids. 

 * * * The bite of these spiders is quite painful, but not by any means as danger- 

 ous as claimed. It produces a violent inflammation of short duration. Scars made 

 by such bites are quite lasting, however, looking like those so frequently made during 

 dissections. 



Recent correspondence with Mr. Herbert H. Smith, the well-known 

 collector in South and Central America and the West Indies, and with 

 Dr. Eugene Murray-Aaron, who has collected throughout the West 

 Indies, has given us some facts which should be placed upon record, 

 and which, while they negative popular ideas, substantiate the con- 

 clusions arrived at by Prof. Riley, as above stated. 



Mr. Smith writes as follows: 



Scorpion stings are nearly always very painful; commonly there is great inflam- 

 mation and swelling around the wound for two or three days, and occasionally this 

 may extend so far as to be dangerous. My wife's uncle, a physician iu Yucatan, 

 was stung on one of the toes by a scorpion which had got into his shoe; the foot 

 and leg inflamed so badly that he himself had nearly decided on amputation of the 

 foot ; he believed it would be necessary in order to save his life. However, the inflam- 

 mation finally subsided and he got well. I do not kuowwhat remedies heused. j 

 have heard, from Brazilian physicians, of similar cases, but I do not know of any 

 case of death from a scorpion sting. Probably death might result in some cases, as 

 (if reports are true) it does, rarely, from bee stings. I have never been stung by a 

 scorpion. My wife was stung by a small one in the West Indies; the wound was 

 on the end of the forefinger and was exceedingly painful. By the advice of a ser- 

 vant, she held the finger for an hour in hot sweet oil mixed with an equal measure 

 of laudanum. There was no swelling, and three hours after all pain had left her. 

 This remedy is a popular one in the West lutlies, and the result seems to show 

 that it is good. Once when I was traveling with Mr. O. A. Derby, he was stung on 

 the hand by a scorpion. The swelling lasted for three days, making the hand use- 

 less and exteudiug nearly to the elbow. He described the pain at first as terrible; 

 he is a brave fellow, but I could see by his drawn face that he was suflering 

 severely. Some scorpions are much worse than others. The rather small, slender, 

 pale-colored kinds have the worst reputation, and country people in Brazil say 

 that tbe sting of the very large black kinds is not particularly painful. By the 

 way, why are certain places nearly free from scorpions, while others are overrun by 

 them? The worst metropolis of them that I ever saw was a valley iu the Tierra 

 Templada of Mexico, a beautiful place, well watered, surrounded by forests, and 

 8359— No. 3 4 



