Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-05
DEATH FROM SPIDER BITES.
Many Varieties of Common SpiderS
Whose Bite Is Venomous

| Every now and then person dies
of spider bite. All spiders are poi
sonous, but very few are sufficiently to-
cause death. Miss Cora Sanfiise OF
Brooklyn, who died from the effects OF
a spiders bite recently, was attacked
by black spider about three-quarters
of an inch long. This arachnid I'M
doubtedly belonged to the "lathrodec-
tus" species.
The "lathrodectuS' are very venom
Gus. Their salivary glands contain a
poisonous liquid. This injurious fluid
is expelled through little holes in the
eXtremities of the m&n0ibles or jaws
when they bite. Their bites are sell
dom fatal to human beings, although
they have been known to throw people
into commissions. Many small animals
and even birds generally die when at
tackled by them.
In Madagascar there is ona
species Of spider whose bite is SAID to
be always fatal. 1t is a glossy black,
with red spot on the abdomen, and
is globular in shape, being about ths
hesitate to attack human beings. On
this interesting island there are many
brilliantly colored sIiders. Some OF
them are large enough to cover a din
ner plate, and they spin immense geo.
metric webs across streams and roads,
which are anchored by cords so strong
that an effort is required TO break them.
The tarantula is alleged to be poison
Gus. Of course it is somewhat so. IL
lives i'll the tropics and, like all ami
mails, including snakes, that live in the
torrid zone, it collects a great deal OF
poison, and much more rapidly than
insects that live in a colder climate.
Venom always acts more quickly and
is more dangerous in a hot country.
The famous "katipo" spider is sup
posed to be very poisonous. This is a
very shy arachnid and hides in dark
places and under stones. 1t has a
bright red spot on its stomach. 1t is
so much like the "lathrodectus" as to-
belong to all ntents and purposes 10
the same species.
The natives of New Zealand are so
much afraid of the "katipo" that they
will not camp in any neighborhood
where it is found. They assert that
human beings are often killed by it,
and believe that it is possessed of an
evil spirit.
The Kirghis of Asia call this spider
the BLACK widow and are equally
fearful of it. They say that many
camels are bitten to death by it, and
that sometimes whole herds of cattle
are killed by it.
The Corsicans, who call it the "Tnal-
mignatte.' declare that many people
are annually killed by it.
A variety of jumping spider haunts
the sunny side of walls. 1t is very
fierce and particularly venomous. 1t is
also aggressive, as indeed are all spi-
ders, and if you point your finger at it
will attack you. If you try to capture
one he will throw himself up on his
hind legs and prepare to fight.
Most of the spiders one sees are fe-
males, as that is the most important
sex, the male seeming to have no use
in life except to propagate the species.
The females are often twenty times as
big as the males, and frequently eat
their masculine relations.
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 ex-
pert in arachnid lore, and his collec-
ton of these creatures was probably
the most remarkable il existence. So
ID h -,
qualities that he offered at any time to
submit his own arm to their bites for
experiments.
He once took a abbit ana carefully
shaved q portion of it's skin clean OF
fur Then he made a cut in the skin
and introduced into the wound two
little poison sacs from the jaws of d
"lathrodectus. Next he cut the poi
son sacs open while they were in the
wound, and permitted the venom they
held to flow out, thus inoculating the
animal as effectively as could be. The
rabbit was as lively as ever twelve
hours after the operation. No effect
worth mentioning was obtained.
He tried the same experiment with a
guinea pig and a mouse, with like re-
suit He -. EDWARDS allowed a guinea
pig to be bitten three times on the nos.
by two full-groWn spiders, but again
there was no perceptiblc effect.
In spite Of this celebrated scientific
authority, there have been a number Of
well-autbenticated cases where death
has resulted from spider bites. Not
very long ago a farm hand in North
Carolina was bitten, and died the same
night More recent is the sad case of
Miss Sanfelise, of Brooklyn, while only
the other day the death of Mrs. A. M.
Slayin, of Phillipsburg, N. j., was
caused by spider bite.