Venomous animals / by Sir J. Fayrer.

  • Joseph Fayrer
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Venomous animals / by Sir J. Fayrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/26 page 18
    22^ 18 cause swelling and great irritation, severe itching when they are numerous, as they are apt to be. The intense irritation causes fever. The symptoms are not unlike the sting of a nettle. Erythema or even blistering is caused. They burrow under the skin rapidly. They are covered with hairs, and effect entrance into the skin with their claws or palpi, and thus give rise to the great irritation, which is probably aggravated by some acrid excretion. They are found in Britain, France, and other parts of Europe. There are varieties of them found in the tropics. One is mentioned as occurring in Brazil that causes intense irritation, also in Honduras and on the Mosquito Coast, and in the West Indies. The Tetranychus Tlalsalmate is the name given to another form known in Mexico, which gives rise in the same way to great irrita- tion, which continues for days. The mode of treatment is to extract the insect with a needle or point of knife, and then apply some soothing lotions. T, irritans is the jigger of the Mississippi valleys; it causes great irritation in the same way. Argas persicus.—A gamosid of this name, known also as the Teigne de Miana, venomous bug of Miana, well known in Persia. It is found in the houses, and it is said that its puncture produces serious symptoms—convulsions, delirium, gangrene, and even death. This is an exaggeration, though probably it is true that local irrita- tion, and perhaps some constitutional disturbance, may be caused. It is blood-red in colour, spotted on the back, with white; feet yellow. Argas moubata, a native of Angola, is said to have much the same properties. Argas talaje.—In Guatemala produces great irritation. It bites like an ordinary bug, and the punctures are followed by great irritation, swelling, and pain. It lives in holes in the bamboo walls, or such like crevices, and issues at night to attack the sleepers. They are called by the people talaje^. The Ixodidce or ticks are also the source of annoyance and irritation, by attaching themselves to the bodies of most animals; but there is no proof that they have any poisonous properties, so it is not necessary to allude to them further here. Several others, Anoplura or lice, and Sarcoptidce or itch mites, as is well known, cause great irritation and disease, but this is due to the mechanical, rather than the poisonous nature of the wound; the whole subject will be found detailed under the head of Parasites. Hemiptera or Bugs.—Geocorysse and Hydrocorysse, land and water bugs.—Some of these have irritating properties, and also offensive odour ; they have a suctorial mouth armed with a grooved instrument or rostrum for piercing the skin. Cimex lectularius the bed bug, causes much irritation, and in some persons inflammatory action in the bitten part. The effects are transient.
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