other Predaceous, Venomous, and Electric Enemies. 461 



terical. Bird-Spider of S. America ; Scorpion Spider of Costa Rica ; Latro- 

 dectus Lugubris of Kirghiz, irritating and even deadly ; Kalipto of N. Zea- 

 land, causes great prostration. Treatment : lead lotions, alkaline, phenated ; 

 permanganate, creolin, chloral ; ammonia, digitalis, strophanthus, nitro- 

 glycerine, coffee in heart failure. Centipedes : Poison, rarely dangerous ; 

 in tropics more so ; cyanosis, nausea, prostration, paresis. 



SPIDERS. TARANTULAS. 



The large, hairy spiders of Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and 

 America are isnowu as tarantulas, and have long been charged 

 with causing dangerous and even fatal wounds. They form nests 

 in the ground, and are furnished with two formidable mandible 

 claws which work vertically instead of laterally, as in other 

 spiders. The best known species of our Southern States is the 

 Euryperma Heintzii. The bite causes wheals with intense pain 

 and itching, but no nervous symptoms, if uncomplicated by other 

 poisons. The dancing manias of the middle ages attributed to 

 this spider were mere manifestations of hysteria and have no 

 counterpart in the lower animals, nor in man in modern times. 



The bite of the bird spider of S. America (Mygale auricu- 

 laria^, which has a body two and a half inches long, is claimed 

 to be fatal to birds, and to produce in mammals local inflamma- 

 tion, suppuration and induration (Schmarda). The scorpion 

 spider of Costa Rica produces a spreading erysipelatoid dermati- 

 tis (Frantziu,s). The latrodectus lugubris of the Kirghiz 

 Steppes, a spider of one-half inch long, is said to kill 25 per cent, 

 of the large domestic animals bitten (in man 4 per cent.) Beside 

 local pain and swelling, it causes cold sweats, restlessness, vertigo, 

 nausea, prostration, cyanosis and convulsions (Ucke). The Ka- 

 lipto .spider of N. Zealand causes, for a few days, great pain, red- 

 ness, great prostration, cold extremities, and feeble pulse 

 (Wright). It is probable that, in most or all of the severe cases, 

 another and more potent poison is introduced into the bite, in ad- 

 dition to the natural venom of the spider. 



Ordinary .spider bites may be treated with lead lotions, alka- 

 line and carbolic lotions, solutions of potassium permanganate, 

 creolin, chloral or other antiseptic, or cau.stic. Ammonia locally 

 and internally, and, in case of heart failure, digitalis, strophan- 

 thus and nitro-glycerine may be resorted to. 



