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Insanity caused by Mosquito Bites— Hibernation of Mosquitoes. 
I was interested in reading a recent number of INSECT LIFE (Vol. Iv, p. 85) to the 
effect that the poison of the Mosquito was provocative of insanity. When I was 
engaged in exploring in the vicinity of the north shore of Lake Superior about 
twenty-five years ago, I had more than one proof of this fact. One of my men was 
badly bitten and seemed to suffer more than any others of the company. He became 
violently insane and ran off in the woods, and in spite of all efforts he eluded pur- 
suit and was never found again. Another man on a different occasion was affected 
in a similar manner, and was captured with difficulty after a long chase in which he 
exhibited the utmost terror, but after a few days’ close confinement in the camp he 
regained his reason. Afterwards he was so seriously affected by the poison that he 
had to be sent home. I have noticed that the poison affected persons differently, 
causing severe swelling in some, fever in others, pains in the limbs in others, while 
some were but slightly annoyed. I was myself very little troubled by these pests 
or the Black Flies, and found a wash of ammonia to relieve all the injury to the 
skin. One warm day in March, although the snow was several feet deep and the 
ice on the lakes was five feet in thickness, the Mosquitoes appeared in swarms, liter- 
ally blackening the banks of snow in the sheltered places. These were evidently 
the insects of the previous summer which were wintering over. The Indians told 
us that the Mosquitoes lived over the winter, and the old ones were the most annoy- 
ing to them.—[H. Stewart, North Carolina, November 3, 1891. 
REPLY.—This statement concerning the biting of the hibernating Mosquitoes in 
the northwest is paralleled by the experience of Dr. E. Sterling, published in INsEcT 
LIFE, p. 403, Vol. 111.— [November 5, 1891. ] 
Death of an Infant from a Spider Bite. 
The inclosed clipping is from the Cincinnati Enquirer of October 11, 1891, and be- 
ing on the subject of spider bites, concerning which there has been some insertions 
in Insect LIFE, may be of interest to you.—[Edwin A. Hill, Ohio, October 23, 1891. 
MADISON, IND., October 10. 
Several days ago the infant daughter of Thomas Davison, the stove merchant, was 
bitten upon the finger by aspider. The mother brushed the insect away, and no evil 
effects were noticed for several hours, when the hand began to swell and a physician 
was called. The member continued to swell and blood poisoning set in, from the 
effects of which the child died to-day. 
ReEpPLy.— * * * Thank youvery much for your clipping regarding spider bites. 
It is a pity that all of these indefinite stories can not be thoroughly investigated.— 
[October 26, 1891.] 
On the poisonous Bite of the Spider, Latrodectus mactans. 
I send you by today’s mail a black spider that has the reputation of being very 
poisonous, in fact, several people have died from the effects of the bite and others 
have been very sick. Would you please name itforme? * * * [AlvahA. Eaton, 
California, November 14, 1891. 
REPLY.— * * * Thespider which you send as possessing the reputation of 
being very poisonous, is Latrodectus mactans, a near relative of the well-known 
“Katipo” of New Zealand. There is no doubt that the spiders of this genus Latro- 
dectus are very poisonous and that their bite has been followed by severe illness and 
in some cases.by death. The actual records of fatal cases are, however, few, and if 
you can give me names and dates of any fatal cases concerning which you make the 
general statement, you will place me under obligations. If you canin any of these 
cases refer me to the medical attendant, I shall be glad to open up correspondence 
17754—No. 7 4 
