SPIDER-BITES. 197 



The Indians also use it in case of spider- 

 bites. A spider-bite may sound odd in 

 European ears, and the wound is rarely met 

 with on man or woman ; but it is a sore 

 plague to the owners of horses and mules : 

 I never heard of horned-cattle being* injured 

 by them. 



This disgusting looking animal, that does 

 more harm in one night than seven or eight 

 months of time can repair, is an immense 

 hairy spider, with a large, round, but flat 

 body, something like a crab ; the legs are 

 rather short for spiders ; the body may 

 measure three or four inches across; and the 

 mischief this spider does consists in biting or 

 sucking the coronet of horses'* and mules' feet 

 at night when they are feeding in the forest 

 or on the savannah. The next day the coro- 

 net inflames, swells, and in a few more days 

 there is the evident mark of the hoof sepa- 

 rating from the foot : the poor animal suffers 

 dreadfully, which may be inferred from the 

 fact, that he will lie down and nibble all the 

 grass within his reach, and will then rather 

 go a day without eating than rise to change 

 his berth. The hoof soon drops off, and a 

 new hoof begins to grow over the sensible 

 foot, as also does the wall or crust, but it is 



