Death from Spider Bites.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 283, 28 November 1896, Page 3 (Supplement)

Death from Spider Bites.

Many Varieties ojt Common Spiders

Who.se Bite is Venomous,

Giant Spiders of Madagascar,

Evert now and then a person diea of a cpiuer bite. All cuiders are poisonous, but very few are sufficiently so as bo cause death. Mise Cora Sanfeliae, of Brooklyn, who died from the effocts of a fipider's bits recontly, was attacked by a black spider about three quarters ot an inch long. This arachnid undoubtedly belonged to the ' lathrodectus' species. The ' lathrodectus ' are very venomous. Their ealivary glanda contain a poisonous liquid. This injurious fluid is expelled through littlo holes in tho extremities oi the mandibles or jawa when they bite. Their bitos aro seldom fatal to human being*, although they have boen known to throw people into convulsions. Many aruall animals and even birds generally di® when attacked by them. In Madagascar there is one species of Bpider whose bite is said to be always fatal. Id is a glossy black, with a red epob on t!ie abdomen, and is globular in shapa, being about the size of a small marble. Ifc does nob hesitate to afetack human beings. On this interesting island there are many brilliantly coloured spiders. Some of them are large enough to cover a dinner plate, and they spin imiaenee geometric web? across etreams and roads, which are anchored by cords so strong that an effort is required to break them. The Poisonous Tarantula. The tarantula is alleged to be poisonous. Of course its ia eouiewhab so. It lives in the tropics and, like all unions including snakea, that lire in the torrid sscmo, ib collects a great deal of poison, and m mh more rapidly than insects that; live in s colder climate. Venom always acts more quickly and is v: ■■■■•j dangerous in a hot country. The famous ' katipo ' spider is supposed to bo very poisonous*. This ia a very shj arachnid, ssnd hides in dark places ana under stones. Id has a bright red ei>ob on its stomach. It ia so much like the ' lathro< dacttia ' as to belong to all intents and purposes to the eamo species. The natives of New Zealand are so much afraid of the 'katipo' thab they will not enmp in any neighbourhood where it is found. They assort that human beings are I often killed by ib, and bolieve that it ia J possessed of an evil spirit. The Kirghis of Asia call this spider the ! 'black widow' arid are equally tearful ot ' il'. They Bay that many camels are bitten to doith by ir, and that sometimes whole j herrt» of cattle arc killed by it-. j The Coreic.ms, who cfill it the 'tnalmi* I gnatte,' declare thab many people are annually killed by it, [ A variety of jumping spicier haunts tliG funny side of wall.o. It U very fierce and particularly venomous. It ia ulso aggressive, us tiiWeod/ftro all spiders, and it you point your finger a6 ib ib will attack you. I If yon try to capture ono ho will throw himself up on his hind legs and prepares co light. Most Spiders are Females. Most of the spiders ono sees are fomale^ fia that is the most important rex, the mule seeming to have no use in life except ta propagate (ho species. The females nrg often twenty fcitnos as bi'j as the males, and frequently eat their masculine relation?. An authority opposed to the idea that spiders are poisonous is Dr. George Marx, of Washington, D.C., who died recently. He was celebrated as an expert in arachnid lore, and his collection of those creatures was probably the most remarkable in existence. So littlo did ho believe in their venotnou3 qualities thab he offered at any time to submit his own arm to their bite* for experiments. Ha onca took a rabbib and carefully shaved a portion of its ekin clean of fur. Then he made a cub in the bluo and intro. duced into the wound two little poison sacs < from the jaws of a ' lathrodectus." Nexl he cub the poison sacs open whilo they ' were in the wound, and permitted the ' vermon they held to flow out, thu3 inocu' lading the animal as effectively an could be,. i The rabbit was as lively as ever twnlv( • hours after the operation. No effeef i worth mentioning was obtained, i He tried the name experiment with 3. : guinea pig and a mouse, with like result, ) Ha afterwards allowed n guinea pig to b? ) bitten three times on tho nose by two full. i grown spiders, but again thera v, is ne > perceptible effect), f In spito of this celebrated scir.ntifit 3 authority, there havo boon ;i number o^ 1 wall-authenticated cases worn '■•>,:h hai J resulted from spider bite*. Not very long » ago a fp.rm hand Irs North Cnrolinu wat > bitten, and died tin mimn slight. Mor< 3 recent is the wad case of fvii.-s Sanfoliee, o-' . Brooklyn, while only the other day th( 3 death of Mrs A. M. Slr.vin, of ['hillipsburg j N.J., was caused by ft spider bile,