The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-06
The Potato Bug and Its Poison.

ATT recent meeting OF the COOK County
TN Homeopathic society, DR.. e. N. Hale
read an interesting essay on the potato
bug. giving description of the insect. it
habits, poison, and the antidotea 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.
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:
1. 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.
8. From bruising them between the
fingers or in the palms of the hands.
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 It Is this tenacity oflife
that makes the bug 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 exaggerationa.
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.
Another popularity il, that the various
reports do not mention any such results
as local eesication from an application of
this species
In the Canthoris and Lyon, and other
blistering insects, the poison, doubtless,
resides in the external portions Of the in
sect, as their mere application without
bruising will cause vesica:ion. But the
poison of the DoryphorG appears to
reside in the fluids of its body, which
fluid, when volatllized by heat of % great
or greater degree, is absorbed by the
system. and results in q 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
hard-working laborers are very apt to be
covered with assures or abrasi0ns
It has been already intimated that 1t 10
more than probable that this virulent pol
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, Q eeptic condition obtains,
and Inflammation of 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 q violent fever, bloated fAce,
delirium, eyes protruding, pulse 123.
These symptoms lasted from Q q m. to IL
n. 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 rumonng IN
the abdomen. Al Q . N. he awoke and
vomited brown dirty matter for quar-
ter of An hour, after which he fell back
and expired. A post mortem examine
ton revealed . dark congested spleen, the
brain congested, and an uncoagulated
state Of the blood"
The mode Of treatment which the doc
tor suggests, u the following:
~If the patient 10 seen - soon % It y
known that the poison has been absorbed
by any crack or abrasion, the part should
be th3rsyehly washed with strong soap
and watSF lusing the common washing