The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-15
Scorpions, Centipedes, rarantula.

Inere are Two K1nuS OF ecOrp1ODe, JD6
green and the black! the latter is the
most venomotis. When 1 lived In Trebi-
zond, says a writer, they we're 80 ilurnef-
ous that we kept canopy over the bed
to catch those which might fall from the
calling. It was carefully examined every
morning. I have shaken them out Of
my boots. I repeatedly came within an
ace of stepping on one with my bafe
feet when getting out of bed. They
have an uncanny way of hiding in
cracks and under large stones, and run
with spider-like speed when aroused,
holding their spiky tail in the air, in an
aggressive manner that is not reassur-
ing. It is claimed ly some that no
swelling follows the sting, but only pain
and sometimes death. But I have seen
several cases of scorpion-poisoning at
tended with swelling; Nicola, my don
key-driver, had his leg swelled to twice
the size, attended with excruciating pain.
In Asia Minor the native make a decoc-
ton of scorpions, and give it to their
children as an antidote and preventive.
I never heard it did ally good. This, on
the theory of sinaSlia sinaiiibus, might
be called Homeopathic treatment if it
had not been employed before ever
Hahnemann wss born.
The centipede or scalopendra is an
other insect about which know t1oth-
ing good that can be laid to it's credit.
Possibly use may be found for it, as
they use spiders webs for quinine in
fever and ague, and powdered cock
reaches for Bright's disease. It has not
over thirty feet, 80 that the name is q
misnomer; but the feet terminate in a
sharp and scratchy point. The centipede
is copper. colored, and its back is armed
with scales that make it quite hard. Its
sting is more often fatal than that Of the
scorpion, and I have never taken to it
kindly, since I had an adventure with
one in Smyrna. was sitting at supper,
thinly clad in accordance with the GUS
tom of the country during the long
steady heat which endures from April to
October. Suddenly noticed something
creeping over my instep, and in an in
slant it was crawling up my leg, scratch
ing the skin slightly as it lelsurely pur-
sued its way up toward my knee. Ap-
pretending the situation at once I
realized that to startle it would be the
height of folly. Keeping my leg per.
fectly still, therefore, carefully clasped
it above the knee with both hands to
prevent the reptile from getting over the
knee. When was ready struck ont
my foot with smart, rapid jerk, and
most happily shook eff the creature, and
Immediately put my foot on it, crushing
centipede nearly six inches long.
But love the tarantula even less than
the centipede. It is in truth redoubt.
able foe, for aside from its hideous
appearance it Is quite unnecessarily
aggressive, and clears several feet at 9
jump. I have seen snake. .charmers in
the East tossing them from hand to
| hand like q hotpOtato; of course the
poison had been extracted. They vary
greatly in size, according to the eli
mate, but always retain the same general
characteristics. A gentleman in Nassau
told me that his sister went up to bed
one evening, and discovered an enor-
nous tarantula in the middle of her pill
low, just Ike great ink-spot. Having
seen it afterward bottled, can testify
that its legs had spread of six inches,
and it's black hairy body was the size OF
pigeons egg. She screamed, that be-
ing the right thing to do under the cir.
cunlstaHces, WHICH Drought bue iaInlly
10 the room; as her brother entered the
tarantula made spring at him, which
resulted in the candle falling on the
floor and general rush of everyone
pell-mell, for the door. The candle
having been re-lit, it then became i'm
portant to find out on whom the taran
tula might be crawling. After some
more fun of this sort, the creature wal
finally driven into corner and impalet
on a sharp spike and was then preserved
in alcohol. Who says alcohol has ne
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