Before 1918 lagrippe was pandemic and endemic at various times. In 1918 we had the “Spanish flu,” but since then we have had a great variety of influenza, general influenza, influenzal encephalitis, influenzal pneumonia, intestinal influenza, and a great variety of complications. Many times the physician is implored for a definite diagnosis, and to assure the family that the particular diseases which the patient may have is only a cold, or lagrippe or the dreaded diseases “flu” or influenza.
We as homoeopaths know that with influenza, as with all other disease the entire organism is sick, with a pronounced effect upon some particular part of the being. And so in influenza meningitis we have a pronounced effect upon the meninges which also varies according to the patient, the patients “on-large” and the patients personal tendencies. It is not strange to the individualist that people with similar tendencies develop very similar types of infection and very frequently require the same remedy.
In the recent past there have been a number of cases of influenzal meningitis in our territory, requiring the same remedy, some of which I did not recognize at the time.
In the country of Holland recently an observation was made and compulsory vaccination and repealed. On autopsies of their encephalitis cases the only disease organism which could be found was the organism of cowpox. They used this organism to inoculate rabbits whose skin became covered with vaccine blisters.
The tendencies and susceptibilities of a patient always very according to what may be transmitted to him in whatsoever manner it may be modify his original physical being.
The name Tarentula covers a number of poisonous spiders, but in this paper we are dealing only with Tarentula Hispanica. Clarke says “Tarantella is a dance, named from the city of Tarentum. “Tarantism is a dancing mania, set up in persons bitten by the Tarentula or in those who imagine themselves bitten. The cure is music and dancing.”
The cardinal features of the Tarentula bite are:.
1 Dark red or purplish discoloration and swelling of skin and tissues.
2.Apparent imminent choking.
3.Choreic movements: restlessness; rolling from side to side.
4.Aggravation by music; music at first excites and subsequently relieves.
5.Periodicity: deep action: returning annually on date of bite,.
CASE REPORTS:.
CASE A. Meningitis-mania of six months duration. Cured with Tarentula 50M.
CASE B. Meningitis-mania at intervals for one year. Acute attack. Tarentula 50M. greatly relieved. Relapse after exposure from skating.
CASE C. Meningitis following influenza. A keen, intelligent man of 23. At Christmas time had an attack of cold, and then influenza. the attack was insidious with debility increasing for several weeks. Slow to answer questions, laughing and crying, sleepless; nose, throat and ears congested; temperature subnormal., pulse above 90; headache severe, worse from light and noise, tongue coated white, swallowing difficult, respiration slow and irregular; pupils unequal at times, constipation severe and obstinate; great restlessness and irritability, teeth grinding almost constantly, rigidity of the nape and jaw; delirium, and varied hallucinations, he would cry out, try to get up; strike his attendants.
No sleep for three days and nights, after several days of morphine and chloral, I was called in consultation and after 24 hours of observation the case was as follows; great restlessness, rolling from side to side, moving legs, constantly rubbing hands and fingers and head: attempted to jump out of bed suddenly, picked at bedclothes, much sighing, easily frightened disturbed by light and noise, refused to talk except in delirium; tongue white, could not swallow solids; Constipation severe, stool very dark with bad odor; eruption of dark spots on face; headache, sleepless; feet became cold, and then he developed a general convulsive attack, he had many partial and lighter convulsive seizures of upper pat of body. Tarentula 30 was prescribed.
The attending physician had no comprehension of the antidotal effects of substances other than the prescribing of other drugs, therefore the road to recovery was marked by several mishaps.
Before Tarentula was prescribed the patient could not be quieted with all the morphine he could tolerate. He immediately showed improvement on Tarentula, slept three and one half hours, temperature rose to 101, continued improvement for a month. The patient was given Tarentula 50M. and for three days made almost a miraculous improvement. The attending physician called at this time and not understanding potencies, administered Tarentula 30 which was left with the patient to be given when needed. In a few moments the patient had a severe headache, delirium, striking attendants, refusing to talk, sleepless.
I had no one with whom to consult so I had to take the case over again. Fer. phos. 3x. was given for ten days with steady improvement. Then Tarentula 50M. was again given. The patient and the family again said “He is well.” He has remained so for the past three months and is doing his usual work.
Cases A.B,. and C were all vaccinated, all were very talkative, all had a period of sleeplessness, and were similar in many ways.
I believe many cases of meningitis with all its varied forms of attack would find their similimum in Tarentula. PANDORA,OHIO.
DISCUSSION.
DR.MACFARLAN: I dont know anything about Tarentula Hispanica, but I know that Tarentula Cubensis is a wonderful remedy. I made that proving about ten years ago. I also made a good cure with it in a terrible case of cough, something like whooping cough, that seemed to tear the patient to bits. Tarentula does tear them to bits, and I gave it with a marvelous response from the start.
It has the symptom the doctor mentioned. the Cubensis produces great drowsiness, I think it is more useful; in whooping cough than Ipecac or Castanea vesca or any other remedy I know; it is marvelous.
DR.BENTHACK: I have never before heard of its use in meningitis, but Tarentula Cubensis is my standby in any abscess where there is severe pain. I formerly thought I had wonderful remedy for such condition in Arsenicum and Anthracinum, but I have found Tarentula Cubensis in the 30th potency does much better.
DR.ROBERTS: Tarentula is one of the most interesting of the spider poisons. I think we get a better concept of it if we study its habits. Tarentula Hispanica, as you know, is found in the western part of this country, and I have been told that before the rainy season they migrate in herds, travelling in leaps and bounds. It makes its nest in the ground, a burrow lined with web, and turning a sharp angle after going down a few inches. Here the spider sits to watch for its prey.
It does its work by violent, one sharp pounce on the neck of its victim, severing the ganglia. It strikes and retreats, never holding on. It is a perfect coward when away from home. It is in these things you get the characteristics, for you find this sudden violence all through the remedy-the sudden impulse to do harm.
One Tarentula patient whom I knew seemed to be quite and peaceable; the nurse left the room and instantly the patient jumped from bed, swept everything from the shelf and was back in bed before the nurse could get back. That is Tarentula: violence of onslaught, fear to face real opposition or when they are away from home-just as he spider does in its natural setting.
In regard to Tarentula Cubensis, while it is not mentioned in this paper, it is much like Tarentula Hispanica; it is the same spider or closely related, only coming from Cuba. Dr.T.F. Allen told me the history of this remedy. The Tarentula cubensis was being shipped to this country in a container with alcohol to preserve it. The container broke on the way up, the alcohol ran out and the specimen decomposed. However, a potency was made, and it is the pyogenic effect of the decomposition that is the greatest differentiation between the Hispanica and the Cubensis, for all our higher potencies were made from that stock. It is worth consideration, because there you get the mentality of Hispanica and the septic conditions of the cubensis.,.
Dr.FARRINGTON:It would be interesting to reprove a fresh specimen of Tarentula Cubensis. That is one deficiency, you might say, in our materia medica and its provings, that we have evidently not got the real symptoms of the Cubensis. Perhaps it would result in a reproduction of what we get from Hispanica.
DR.ROBERTS:It is the same zoological variety.
DR.FARRINGTON: Probably the accident gave us a new remedy which we would not have had before, much as an accident gave us Causticum, because that is a compound subject, Hahnemanns tinctura acris Kali, which cannot be found in any pharmacopoeia except the homoeopathic.
I wish to commend Dr.Neiswanders paper. It is homoeopathic with a point and the kind we like to hear; however, I cannot offer any similar experience, although I have used Spanish spider many times in the last thirty eight years. I have never had occasion to give it in the kind of case that he was presented, but I wish to point out what Dr.Roberts has said as being actually a fact.
