Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-16
BITTEN BY TARANTULA
Wnc0n C.. Anders0n'S Exciting
Time in Mexico.
LlVD SCAR MARKS LIMB
Awakens From Sleep to Feel Dread
ed Sting.
SAVED BY PROMPT ACTION
Six Weeks Stay in Vera Cruz Hos
pital-Sojourn in Cincinnati
1nfrmary.
SAVED BY PROMPT ACTION

"You see that SCARF" said Vincon C.
Anderson of this city, exposing his leg
where there could be seen on his shln
bone. about six inches above~his ankle
covering three inches on either side nvlo
scar that will never grow dim. That is
tarantula sting I received in the state
of Morrelles, Mexico. some months ago,
said Mr.. Anderson.
For the last two years Mr.. Anderson has
been down in Mexico. employed by the
Security Oil Company as time clerk In
laying their oil pipe lines between Quay
miles and Gonzales, where the company
had employed go Mexican coolies in the
york.
Said Mr.. Anderson: ''The company has
a narrow-gauge railroad in the mountains
where the superintendent and myself, the
only white men on the work, were en-
gagged in laying the pipes, perhaps the
most beautiful yet the most sparsely set
tied section Of Mexico. You see, 1t Is so
warm down there that we go to work at
about in the morning. and work until
about 8 o'clock and close down until
about Pm, and then resume the day.
work and continue until late in the even
ing.
Sensations Of the Sting.
lone day the superintendent and I were
taking our midday rest in our box car
on the siding. Though / had been warned
to look out for the tarantula, fell asleep
and when in a light slumber felt some
thing crawling on my leg. L pressed my
hand on the place quick. and at that mo-
ment 1 felt that / was being pricked by
a thousand pins. knew that 1t was all
I'D with me; there he was, the spider-like
creature. I gave the alarm, at the same
time 1 took my knife and began to LAGER
ate the wound where the dark poison
blood was exposed. One of the coolies was
brought to me and I gave him a ten-dollar
gold piece to suck the poison from the
wound, q practice in that country. That
is what saved me, I am sure.
1.-The company sent special car to me,
and in less than one hour was In Con-
zales under medical care. / was then
taken to a hospital at Vera Cruz, where
I remained for six weeks. The wound
healed soon very nicely, but there being
malaria in my system it broke out, and
was then advised to return to my home
in this country and go to Johns Hopkins
in Baltimore.
Sojourn in Cincinnati Hospital.
IT began the Journey but had to be left
in the City Hospital in Cincinnati, where
came under the care Of the celebrated
Italian surgeon, DR.. Avogli. There I be-
came the subject of much interest among
the medical students, being the second
case Of a tarantula-b bitten person in the
history of Cincinnati.
You see there was no sound flesh in the
poisoned tissues around the wound to heal
to. so one day the doctor came into the
hall into which I had been conveyed by a
rolling chair. He had in his hand live
chicken. In q few minutes the chicken
was killed and dressed. and while it was
still warm and quivering portions of the
breast were placed in the wound. That
treatment was successful, and / was soon
on the way to recovery. from an expert
ence of the most painful wound that the
human body can endure. l had the best
of medical attention, otherwise" said
Mr.. Anderson, II would not have been
here in Washington to tell my tarantula
experience"
Mr.. Anderson is a native of Prince
George county. Md, but reared in the
District of Columbia He went west some
years ago and drifted into the employ of
the Security OIL Company in the Mexican
republic