Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-07-30
The Potato Bug and its Poison.


The Potato Bug and its Poison.
Ara recent meeting of the Cook County
Qll.) Homeopathic society, DR.. =. NJ, Hale
read an interesting essay on the potato
bug, giving description of the insect. its
habits, poison, and the antidotes. The
doctor states that there are ten different
species of potato bugs, of which the Col
orado bug is most numerous and to be
dreaded. aIEsa taa LtG. 1.f U.s. 81
In regard to the poison of this bug, and
its effects, DR.. Hale says:
Persons have been poisoned by this bug
in various WAYS, namely: f.l '' '.H.
T. BY inhaling the fumes from the in
sects when placed in hot water:
2. BY inhaling the fumes from them
when the bugs have been placed in pans
and subjected to the action of dry heat.
3. From bruising them between the
fingers or in the palms of the hands. tr
The Colorado bug is peculiarly tena-
cious of life. They will live after being
subjected to an amount of heat that would
kill most insects 1t is this tenacity oflife
that makes the bug a greater annoyance
to the agriculturist, and has obliged him
to resort to various severe expedients to
destroy them after he has collected them
from the plants. From time to time the
newspapers have contained cases of poi
soning by this insect, but many OF the
instances were doubtless exaggerations.
One popularity, however, was noticed,
that in all the cases the i'll results occurred
from killing the bugs by one of the
methods just mentioned. iH lfC"1 e-@
Another popularity is, that the various
reports do not mention any such results
as local 0eSicati0n from an application of
this species. ~ ~ :y ~
In the Cmethor5s and Lyon, and other
bGsteripg insects, the poison, doubtless,
resides in the external portions of the in
sect, as their mere application without
bruising will cause vesication But the
poison of the. DOrgphora appears to
reside in the fluids of its body, which
fluid, when volatllized by heat of as great
or greater degree, is absorbed by the
system, and results in general blood
poisoning. No experiments have yet
been made to ascertain whether general
poisoning would result from inserting the
liquid portions of the insect into the blood.
Perhaps the cases of poisoning from
bruising the bug in the hands may have
resulted from incubation, for the hands Of
covered with assures or abrasions
1t has been already intimated that it is
more than probable that this virulent poi
son acts upon the blood In this respect
it is probably analogous to the serpent
poisons, as well as the results of poison
ing by spiders, scorpions and the bee.
Under its influence the blood becomes
disorganized, a septic condition obtains,
and Inflammation of a low grade, simulat-
ing erysipelas, results.
DR.. Hale also gave several cases of
poisoning by this insect, of which one is
as follows:
"a man picked the bugs from the vines
and killed them by crushing them between
the fingers. He did not wash his hands
afterward. He was attacked in few
hours with violent fever, bloated face,
delirium, eyes protruding, pulse 1873.
These symptoms lasted from a. m. to II
p. m, when the whole body began to
swell the hands and feet became cold;
the pulse became weak an Irresistible
stupor came on, with loud rumbling in
the abdomen. At 2 a. m. he awoke and
vomited brown dirty matter for quar-
ter of an hour, after which he fell back
and expired. A post mortem examina-
ton revealed dark congested spleen, the
brain congested, ana an uneoagulated
state of the blood" lrat g.r.sh
The mode of treatment which the doc
tor suggests, is the following '.F 'H
eff the patient is seen as soon as it is
known. that the poison has been absorbed
by any crack or abrasion, the part should
be thoroughly washed with strong soap
and water (using the common washing
soap) and afterWard solution of bro
mine should be applied to the poisoned
portion. If the violent symptoms of GER
ebral excitement set in, the bromide of
potassium should be given in The usual
medicinal doses for time, when if the
condition do not improve, give lachesis,
belladonna, apis, aconite, or stramonium,
as the case, seems to demand. Several
physicians have found baptsiea and ZACH,
esis, in alienation, to act benefcially in
severe cases. Lfsf e.rrr u. Ia
GAS a local application to the enormous
local swelling which occurs, there is prob
ably nothing better than the extract of
hamamelis; a weak solution of the spirits
of ammonia, or lotion Of aconite, arnica,
or veratrum viride.
off sudden and alarming prostration
sets in, resort should be had to ammonia
alcohol in some form, or preparation of
arsenic, given internally.
off the acute symptoms subside, and
typhoid or septic condition obtains, the
indications are to treat it in the same man
ner as we would a case of typhoid from
any other cause. +
!" In those cases where the fumes have
been inhaled, it is probable that the vapor
of bromine, of proper strength, inhaled
soon after, would act as an efficient anti
dote"