Mygale lasiodora

Lecture VI — Arachnida — Mygale, Lycosa tarentula, Tarentula cubensis, Aranea diadema and Theridion curassavicum

Of the Arachnida or spider-poisons used in medicine I shall call your attention to the following:

1. Mygale lasiodora.

2. Lycosa tarentula.

3. Tarentula Cubensis.

4. Aranea diadema.

5. Aranea scinencia.

6. Theridion curassavicum.

The action of the drugs in this group is a two-fold one; they all poison the blood, and they all act prominently on the nervous system, producing spasmodic diseases, as chorea and hysteria. Among other nervous symptoms produced by them are anxiety, trembling, great restlessness, oversensitiveness and nervous prostration; periodicity. The system is profoundly affected by spider-poisons; hence, they may be used in serious and chronic ailments.

Taking up the study of these drugs seriatim, we come first to the Mygale lasiodora.

Mygale lasiodora.

The Mygale lasiodora is a large black spider, native to the island of Cuba. It was first proved by Dr. J. C. Houard, of this city. It is one of our best remedies for uncomplicated cases of chorea. The patient is apt to be low-spirited and depressed. She complains of dull pain in the forehead. She has constant twitchings of the muscles of the face. The head is often jerked to one side, usually to the right. There are also twitchings and jerkings of the muscles of one arm and leg, usually the right. Control over the muscles is lost. On attempting to put the hand up to the head it is violently jerked backward. When an effort to talk is made the words are jerked out.

I can recall one case of chorea in which, under the use of this remedy, the convulsive symptoms were speed\Xy removed, and the patient, a little girl, remained well for years. Dr. Houard, to whom I just referred as having proved this drug, has given me the following symptoms indicating its use. The muscles of the face twitch, the mouth and eyes open and close in rapid succession; cannot put the hand to the face, it is arrested midway and jerked down. Gait unsteady; legs i.n motion while sitting and dragged while attempting to talk; constant motion of the whole body.

The most similar remedy to Mygale in chorea is Agaricus* which also has these angular choreic movements. But as a distinctive symptom we have itching of the eyelids or of different parts of the body, as if they had been frost-bitten. The eyelids are in constant motion. The spine is sensitive to touch.

Actea racemosa is to be employed in chorea when the movements affect chiefly the left side, and when the disease is associated with myalgia or rheumatic ailments, or occurs reflexly as a result of uterine displacements.

Tarenttda is indicated in chorea affecting the right arm and right leg. The movements persist even at night.

Ignatia is called for in chorea of emotional origin.

Zizia may be used in cases in which the choreic movements continue during sleep.

The Stramonium chorea is characterized by the following symptoms. Features continually changing; now he laughs and now appears astonished; tongue protruded rapidly; head thrown alternately backward and forward; spasmodic twitching of the spine and whole body; the extremities are in constant motion, though not always jerked, for sometimes their motion is rotary, gyratory, even graceful. The muscles of the whole body are in constant motion. There may be stammering. If the mind is affected, the patient is easily frightened; he awakes from sleep terrified; or he often assumes an attitude of prayer, with fervent expression and clasped hands. He frequently lifts his head from the pillow.

*By a very ingenious selection of Agaricushy Dr. Korndcerfer, in the case of a two-year old child, who had evident meningitis, andwho was not relievedby Apis, Sulphur, etc., the rolling of the head ceased, alarming forewarning of imbecility happily vanished, and the patient fully recovered. I used the drug in a case of .typhoid, in which the child rolled her head and bit her nightgown. Some improvement followed. Tarentula was then given, with slight aggravation, followed by lasting improvement. The two should be remembered in impending imbecility.—E. A. F.

Returning now to Mygale, I give you the following symptoms in addition to those already described: Delirious talk about business; restlessness all night; fear of death; despondency, with anxious expression; nausea, with strong palpitation of the heart, dimness of sight, general weakness; tremulousness of the whole body in the evening; severe chill, thirty minutes, then fever, with trembling; pain in the head in the morning, worse in the eyes and from temple to temple. Mygale, after having been given to a boy for some time, produced, during the spasmodic symptoms, violent erections of the penis. The penis, when erect, was curved, not straight, and consequently the patient suffered great pain. Dr. Williamson, by whom this observation was made, was then led to a successful use of the remedy in chordee. He used it in a low potency, but it has since been used high w 7ith equal success.