Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-11-11
SOMEAWFUL DEATHS.
FEARFUL FORMS IN WHICH THE
GRIM DESTROYER CALLS.

me venom Oh q south AuHtrNIinN
Spider and the rrigLtful Agony II
Causes Gram That Makes Its
Victim a Rnvins Maniac.
What Is the most awful shape In
which death may come to mortal man?
Not by fire. nor by water. nor Ivy gun
shot. These are mere pleasures to
some Of the deaths by which you may
Gle.
The most ACCOUNTING Of all is caused
by an insect half the size Of PEI a
small black spider. 1t lives in Peru
and South Australia. but Il few speci-
mems have reached Europe and Amer
lea in shiploads OF timber. Net long
ago dock labOrer was unisrky
enough to come upon one in the Vic
tcria docks while unloading bark.
The tiny death dealer dropped upon
the back Of his hand and dug its fungs
into his flesh. The bite itself was moth
ing but rs soon MS the poison began to
work the man tainted with pain. Soon
afterward he came to and lived three
days before the end came.
This spiders venom scorhes up the
blood vessels and spreads through all
the tissues. causing the most fearful
agony human being can have to bear.
The worst of II Is that the victim lives
at least two days. enduring unthinka-
bic anguish the whole time. This Sni.
der is luckily not common. 1t is known
as the "specky." and when n man who
knn1vc yvlOf tha. hitl =, q 10 hif I'm, ht
generally blows out his brains.
Another fearful death Is caused by
eating a grain called "bhat." This
sometimes gets mixed with rice. which
It resembles. The plant grows In tho
east. and few grains Of 1t will drive
one into a state Of violent mania. The
victim becomes drowsy at first and aft.
erward hilarious. then he goes stark.
staring mad and tears himself literally
to pieces with his fingers, biting mouth
fuls out Of his limbs. 1t is bad enough
to see such case, but as for expert.
encing it
This grain is only found In remote
parts Of the east. but both white men
and natives are killed by 1t OCCASION
ally in the east. for the plant grows in
with the rice crops and can scarcely I've
told apart. but that the dried grain il
of Il reddish color.
or course falling into a vat of boiling
metal. rs unfortunate wOrkmen some
times do. sounds bad enough. hut 1t Is
mercifully quick. There Is n South
American vine called the "knotter,"
which is far worse. 1t twines around
any living thing that comes within
reach. twisting Its long tentacles about
man us devilfsh might. These
tentacles scar and burn into the flesh
like white hot wires. and the victim is
dragged into the heart Of the foliage
and his juices slowly drained, az a
spider sucks the blood Of n f..
All say that the pain Is worse than
they could have believed 1t possible
for man to feel. The "knotter' Is
we'll known to scientists and Is. in fact,
a sort Of huge fiytrap plant. Those
who have strong instincts Of cruelty,
coupled with curiosity. sometimes force
q dog into the grip Of the "knotter" to
watch the effects. which are too hOrri-
BILE to describe in detail.
Again. there is nothing very much
worse than hydrophObia, when genu-
inc. The patient often lives for days
In the acute stage and in his last hours
is simply tied up in knots and bent
backward and forward like a bow
1t Is q very rare disease with human
beings. for most people bitten by rabid
dogs. a small number at most. escape
1t. In extreme cases the patient act
ually snarls and bays like any hound.
and. next to experiencing 1t. the worst
thing Is to watch case. 1t Is as dis
tressing a spectacle as any man could
witness.
There Is a snake called the lancer"
which lives In South America, and Is
very ready with its fangs. 1t Is a small,
brown, Insignificant beast, but Its bite
induces a sort Of imaginary swelling
all over the victims body. He feels
a. II every inch Of him were being
strained to breaking point. and The
agony which results is too awful for
words. Generally, however. the ak
cess Of pain drives the bitten man mad
before very long. and in four hours he
dies-a senseless imbeclle.
But. all said and done, perhaps thars
IL no death much worse than by the
common disease Of cancer, which
gnaws ut the patients vitals through
month after month Of unceasing ago
ny and Stays its victim at last through
sheer exhaustiOn.-LOndon Spectator.
Read +. p. Smiths auction adver.
I ~ 49,.