(66o) 
An Account of /owe Booh. 
IW, SENGVVERDIUS P.D. de TARAN- 
TULA. In que, prater ejus defcriptionem , ejfcffus veneni 
Tarantula , qui bactenus fulrt eccultis qualitatibus aJfcripti, 
ratiombus naturalihs deducuntur & ill&ftrantur. Lugd. Batav. 
1 668, in 1 2, 
^"TpHis Author having defcribed theftru&ure of the body of 
JL this Tarentin Spider, and the chief parts thereof, together 
with its bignefsj qualities, food, abode, manner, and feafon of 
flinging, and aptitude to live very many days without any vifible 
food-, pafleth to difcourfe of the nature and effed of the poifon, 
which being vifcous and tenacious, exferts it felf not prefently, 
but lurks a good while in the body, and after the re volution of a 
year, being ftirr'd and fubtilized by the heat of the Sun, is rowf- 
ed and put into motion , producing for thefirft two years only 
various difeafes in the patient, as adeje&ionof theappetite,burn- 
ing Feavers , Cachexy $ after which do follow very ftrange 
and furprizing effe&s, in fome finging and laughing-, in others, 
weeping and crying-, in others, fleeping-, in others, continual 
watching $ in fome, vomitings in fome, dancing and fweating 5 
in fome, madnefsj in fome, the fancy of being Kings 5 in others, 
that of being flaves Juftas Drunkenefs renders fome morofe, 
filentand fearful $ others bold ;md clamorous. This only he af- 
firms to be common to all that are bitten by the Tarantulas, 
that they delight in Mufick, and are thereby moved either to 
dance 3 or to gefticulate. Heobferves alfo, that fome of thefe 
Patients arc delighted with certain forts of Colours, fome with 
Yellow v fome Greeny fome Red. But he noteth this as 
the moft wonderful effeft, that this poifon fo fixeth thofe ima- 
ginations, whichamanchancethtohavewhenhe is bitten, that 
he, that (hall think himfelf a King, willperfifl: in that fancy 
ever after, till he be cured. 
The cure of the poifonous effe&,he with others affigneth to be 
t Mufick, and the dancing, confequent thereto 5 which the Pa- 
rents do perform as if taught : Yetfo, that not every oneisaf- 
e&ed with every fong, but each with fuch an one, as isfuicable 
to 
