The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-06
POISON IN ITS BITE.
A Woman Almost Loses Her Life FIR
a Wound hY a Similar

Woman Almost Loses Her Life From
Wound by a Spider.
Mrs. Byron bigger of Phillipsburg, N. J..
who has been i'll at her home for the last
two weeks from the bite of black spider.
has so far recovered that to-day she was
able &c sit up. She has lost the use of her
lower limbs since being bitten, but DR.. J.
NJ. Reese, who has been attending her. said
to-day that he thought it would be only a
question OF days when Mrs. Bilger would be
able TO walk again. Mrs. Bilger was bitten
on the morning of July 9th. At 10 80 o'clock
she went into the yard for an armful Of fire.
wood. As she was returning to the house
she felt sharp, singing pain at the right
corner Of her upper lip. 1t was as if she
had been bitten by an insect. She did not
see what the insect was, but raising her
right arm she brushed 1t away and gave the
before she reached the house her
lip began to swell. She prepared
dinner as usual for her husband, who works
IN nearby rolllng-mill: Before the meal
most uubearable. The swelling had ex-
tended over the entire right side of her
head and neck, and her face had begun to
turn purple. The swelling had most pc
culiar appearance. 1t had not affected the
lower lip at all, but the upper lip on the
right side was four or five times its natural
size. Her right cheek was pulled out like
cushion and her right eye was entirely
closed. The swelling extended up into her
hair Below the right ear was a large, pur-
pie bunch, and below the angle of the jaw
the swelling was pronounced and discoora-
ton was plain. The pain, Mrs. Bllger says,
was terrible. 1t was as if some one was
pounding her head between two large
stones. When Mr.. Bilger returned from his
work In the evening and found his wife still
suffering such agony lie fastened to sum
mon medical aid.
When DR.. Reese saw Mrs. BiIger's face
his first inquiry was why physician had
not been summoned before. He said that
the swelling was undoubtedly caused by the
bite Of black spider and that it was a
very serious affair. He expressed grave
doubts as to Mrs. Bnger's recovery, be-
cause he feared blood poisoning had set in.
The doctor gave Mrs. bigger morphine to
quiet the pain and whisky as a stimulant.
and left other medicine to counteract the
poison and reduce the swelling. 1t was
after O'Clock in the evening when
he left the house, and within a few
minutes Mrs. bigger went into convui.
sOus. The commissions lasted from ten
to fifteen minutes each, and occurred at
intervals of n few minutes all night,
Mrs. bigger became delrious and was very
difficult to manage. Sometimes 1t required
the united strength of four or five of her
nurses to keep her In bed, and she con
stantly threw the bed clothing from her or
tore 1t into shreds. Whenever she could
get the chance she bit her nurses, and in sew
eral instances the bites were quite serlous.
DIR. Reese was with Mrs. Bigler nearly ALI
the next day but was unable to stop the con-
vulsions, although he decreased their vio-
lence and frequency. For four days Mrs,
bigger was delrious. and the commissions
were not stopped for nine days.-N. Y spe-
cial to Chicago Herald.