CHAPTER XVI 

 POISONOUS INSECTS AND THEIR RELATIVES 



THERE exists in the minds of many persons a great deal 

 of confusion and much misinformation regarding insects 

 and allied animals that may possess the power of poisoning 

 human beings. For example, there is a widespread and 

 unwarranted idea that most if not all spiders are veno- 

 mous and therefore dangerous. Moreover, the idea that 

 poisonous insects are numerous and common is prevalent 

 among many people. Undoubtedly considerable unnec- 

 essary fear exists regarding poisonous insects, much of 

 which may be allayed if we can get at the truth. 



When a person is bitten by a spider or punctured or 

 stung by an insect, the effect will depend upon several 

 conditions. First, it will depend upon the susceptibility 

 of the person injured and upon the condition of the blood. 

 Many persons are very susceptible to inflammation 

 and pain from the stings of bees or wasps, while others 

 suffer very little discomfort from the attacks of these 

 insects. Again, the severity of a spider's bite may depend 

 upon whether the wound becomes subsequently infected 

 with harmful bacteria. The bite may cause some irri- 

 tation and to allay it the patient scratches the wound, 

 thus breaking the skin and inoculating the lesion with 

 bacteria from the outside that may cause serious blood 

 poisoning. Finally, the effect of an insect wound may 

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