POISONING BY CANTHARIDES AND OTHER INSECTS. 



Action on genito-urinary and alimentary tracts. Dysphagia, congestion, 

 retching, diarrhoea, with mucus and blood, diuresis; enuresis, albuminuria, 

 retracted testicles, prostration. Lesions : urinary and gastro-intestinal con- 

 gestion, ecchymosis. Treatment: emesis with ipecacuan, demulcents, 

 avoidance of oils, alcohol and chloroform. Other vesicant beetles and 

 larva. 



Spanish flies have a primary physiological action on the genito- 

 urinary organs, but when introduced by the stomach they prove 

 direct and violent irritants to the gastro-intestinal mucous mem- 

 brane. They cause redness of the buccal mucous membrane, 

 difficulty of swallowing, retching, emesis in vomiting animals, 

 diarrhoea with mucus and bloody faeces, diuresis or enuresis with 

 albuminous urine, retraction of the testicles, prostration, per- 

 spiration, paresis and death. 



Lesions. Active gastro-intestinal congestion with ecchymosis, 

 marked congestion of the genito-urinary mucosa especially that 

 of the bladder. 



Treament. Emesis with ipecacuan and tepid water, followed 

 by abundant mucilaginous or albuminous liquids. Flaxseed tea, 

 gum arable, and white of eggs are useful. Avoid oils, alcohol 

 and chloroform which dissolve the cantharides. 



Among other insects which act as vesicants may be named the 

 cockroach (blatta orientalis) and the potato beetle (cantharis 

 vitatta), also the cantharis cinerea, cantharis marginata, can- 

 tharis atrata, and cantharis nuttalli. The larvse of various 

 lepidoptera, thus army worm, Cnethocampa primivora, 

 Cnethocampa processionea, liparis auriflua, lithosia cri- 

 nola, and the larvae of the artica cassus ligniperda, and 

 pieris brassica are covered with stinging hairs charged with 

 formic acid and perhaps an enzyme, which are shed with the 

 skin in passing into the state of chrysalis, and getting mixed 

 with fodders produce violent stomatitis, hemorrhagic gastro-en- 

 teritis and nephritis. 



