Materia Medica; With a Pathological Index

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1873. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... theridion curassavicum. A small spider of the West Indies, well known to the people as very poisonous. It is found chiefly on the island Curasao, and is often mentioned, but never completely described. It is very similar, in many respects, to the well-known Aranea tridecimguttata, Rossi and Fabricius, frequently found in southern Europe, and placed by Walkenaer among his new genus of spiders: Tfieridium. In 1832, when the "proving" was published, it received pro tern, the above name. In Van HasseWs Toxicology, 1855, he states that he had this same "orange-spider of Curasao" in his collection, and he supposed it should be placed in the other, the next genus: Latrodectus, separated by Walkenaer from his Theridium; a genus to which the same author had also placed the Aranea tridecimguttata. But Cuvier and Lotreille did not approve of it. See Oloquet Faune des Medicines, vol. ii., p. 61, foot note. And in the latest work: Histoire Naturelle des Aragnees, par Eugene Simon, 1864, it is said, page 178, le genre latrodecle, Stabli par Walkenaer, paralt inseparable des theridions, quoigue eel attteur I'en ait eloigne. We, therefore, keep the name as a sufficient identification until Van Hasselt finds an arachnologist willing to settle the matter by a full scientific description. It may be found also in South America, at least the Arrowackians--the principal tribe occupying the whole coast from the Oronoko to the Amasona--describe it and call it: Barra garru. Van Hasselt, in his work, gives the following names of authors, without quoting their works, as mentioning the same spider, and the effects of its poison: Vermeullen, Hellema, Ferguson, and others. Evertse says that they are not only found on orange trees, but also ...