Handbook of Medical EntomologyRiley, William A. (William Albert)
Science
Handbook of Medical Entomology
Riley, William A. (William Albert)
Insect pests; Insects as carriers of disease; Medical parasitology
This investigator pointed out that there were two factors which might
account for the discrepancies in the earlier experiments. In the first
place, the poison of spiders, as of snakes, might be so exhausted after
two or three bites that further bites, following directly, might be
without visible effect. Secondly, the application of the poison by means
of the bite, is exceedingly inexact, since even after the most careful
selection of the point of application, the poison might in one instance
enter a little vein or lymph vessel, and in another case fail to do so.
Besides, there would always remain an incalculable and very large amount
externally, in the nonabsorptive epithelium. While all of these factors
enter into the question of the effect of the bite in specific instances,
they must be as nearly as possible obviated in considering the question
of whether the spiders really secrete a venom harmful to man.
Kobert therefore sought to prepare extracts which would contain the
active principles of the poison and which could be injected in definite
quantities directly into the blood of the experimental animal. For this
purpose various parts of the spiders were rubbed up in a mortar with
distilled water, or physiological salt solution, allowed to stand for an
hour, filtered, and then carefully washed, by adding water drop by drop
for twenty-four hours. The filtrate and the wash-water were then united,
well mixed and, if necessary, cleared by centrifuging or by exposure to
cold. The mixture was again filtered, measured, and used, in part, for
injection and, in part, for the determination of the organic materials.
Such an extract was prepared from the cephalothoraces of eight dried
specimens of the Russian _Latrodectus_ and three cubic centimeters of
this, containing 4.29 mg. of organic material, were injected into the
jugular vein of a cat weighing 2450 grams. The previously very active
animal was paralyzed and lay in whatever position it was placed. The
sensibility of the skin of the extremities and the rump was so reduced
that there was no reaction from cutting or sticking. There quickly
followed dyspnœa, convulsions, paralysis of the respiratory muscles
and of the heart. In twenty-eight minutes the cat was dead, after having
exhibited exactly the symptoms observed in severe cases of poisoning of
man from the bite of this spider.
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