ESSAY II.
IJoin these TwoPoisonstogether, because tho’ they differ very much in their Effects, yet both do agree in this, that they induce a particularDelirium sui generis, attended partly withManiacal, partly withMelancholySymptoms.
TheTarantula(of which the Figure may be seen inBaglivi’s Dissertation(48),) is aSpiderofApuliaof theOctonocularkind; that is of thatSpeciesthat has eight Eyes, and spins Webbs; it has eight Legs, four on each side, and in each Leg three Joints; from the Mouth proceed two Darts, in Shape just like to a hookedForceps, or Crab’s Claws; these are solid, and very sharp, so that they can easily pierce the Skin; and between these and the Fore-Legs there are two little Horns, which I suppose do answer to those Bodies call’d from their Use inFliestheFeelers; because as they do, so this Creature is observed to move ’em very briskly when it approaches to its Prey.
This, as other Spiders do, propagates itsSpeciesby laying Eggs, which are very numerous; so that there are found sometimes in the Female, when dissected, a hundred or more; and these are hatched partly by the Heat of the Mother, partly by that of the Sun, in about twenty or thirty Days Time.
There is also a Spider of the like Nature with theTarantulain theWest-Indies, whichFr. Hernandez(49)describes by the Name ofHoitztocatl, or thePricking Spider; and says, that its Bite induces Madness.
In the Summer Months, especially when the Heats are greatest, as in the Dog-Days, theTarantulacreeping among the Corn in the Fields, bites the Mowers and Passengers; in the Winter it lurks in Holes, and is scarcely seen; and if it does bite then, it is not venomous, neither does it induce any ill Symptoms.
But in the hot Weather, altho’ the Pain of its Bite is at first no greater than what is caused by the Sting of a Bee, yet the Part quickly after is discoloured with a Livid, Black, or Yellowish Circle, and raised to an inflam’d Swelling; the Patient within a few Hours is seized with a violent Sickness, Difficulty of Breathing, universal Faintness, and sometimes Trembling, with a Weakness of the Head; being asked what the Ail is, makes no Reply, or with a querulous Voice, and melancholy Look, points to his Breast, as if the Heart was most affected.
During this mournful Scene, all the usualAlexipharmickandCordialMedicines are of no Service; for notwithstanding their repeated Use, the Patient growing by degrees more melancholy, stupid, and strangely timorous, in a short Time expires, unlessMusickbe called to his Assistance, which alone, without the Help of Medicine, performs theCure.
For at the first Sound of theMusical Instrument, altho’ the Sick lie, as it were, in an Apoplectick Fit, they begin by Degrees to move their Hands and Feet, till at last they get up, and fall to Dancing with wonderful Vigour, at first for three or four Hours, then they are put to Bed, refreshed from their sweating, for a short time, and repeat the Exercise with the same Vehemence, perceiving no Weariness or Weakness from it, but professing they grow stronger and nimbler the more they dance.
At this Sport they usually spend Twelve Hours a Day, and it continues Three or Four Days; by which time they are generally freed from all their Symptoms, which do nevertheless attack ’em again about the same time the next Year; and if they do not take Care to prevent this Relapse by Musick, they fall into aJaundice, Want of Appetite, universal Weakness, and such like Diseases; which are every Year increased, if Dancing be neglected, till at last they prove incurable.
As Musick is the commonCure, so they who are bitten are pleas’d some with one Sort of it, some with another; one is raised with a Pipe, another with a Tymbrel; one with a Harp, another with a Fiddle; so that the Musicians make sometimes several Essays before they can accommodate their Art to the Venom; but this is constant and certain, not withstanding this Variety, that they all require the quickest and briskest Tunes, and are never moved by a slow, dullHarmony.
While theTarantati, or Affected, are Dancing, they lose in a manner the Use of all their Senses, like so many Drunkards, do many Ridiculous and Foolish Tricks, talk and act obscenely and rudely, take great Pleasure in playing with Vine-Leaves, with naked Swords, red Cloths, and the like; and on the other Hand can’t bear the Sight of any thing black; so that if any By-stander happen to appear in thatColour, he must immediately withdraw, otherwise they relapse into their Symptoms with as much Violence as ever.
It may afford some Light towards Understanding the Nature of this Poison, to observe thatApuliais the hottest Part of allItaly, lyingEastward, and having all the Summer long but very little Rain to temper the Heats, so that the Inhabitants, as one of that Country observes(50), do breath an Air, as it were, out of a fiery Furnace; hence their Temperament is dry, and adust, as appears by their being generally lean, passionate, impatient, ready to Action, quick-witted, very subject to inflammatory Distempers, Phrensies, Melancholy, and the like, upon which Account there are more mad People in this, than in all the other Parts ofItaly; nay, what in other Countries is but a light Melancholy, arises here to a great Heigth; for Women in aChlorosisdo suffer almost the same Symptoms as Persons poisoned by theTarantulado, and are cured the same Way; and in like manner the Venom of theScorpiondoes here in Effects and Cure agree very much with that of thisSpider.
From all this History it sufficiently appears, that those that are bitten by aTarantula, do thereupon becomeDelirous, and that in order to account for their surprizing Symptoms; the Nature of aDelirium, from which many of them proceed, ought to be understood.
Such is the Constitution of theHuman Œconomy, thatasupon the Impression of outwardObjectsmade upon theOrgans, and by the Fluid of the Nerves conveyed to theCommon Sensory; differentSpeciesare excited there, and represented to the Mind;solikewise upon this Representation, at the Command and Pleasure of the Soul, part of the same Fluid is determin’d into the Muscles, and mixing with the Arterial Blood there, performs all the Variety of Voluntary Motions and Actions.
This Order has been always so constant in Us, that at length by a kind of natural Habitude, without the Intervention of the Reasoning Faculty, Representations made to the Mind do immediately and necessarily produce suitable Motions in the Bodily Organs. When therefore these Representations are irregular, the Actions consequent to them must necessarily be so too.
This being premis’d, it may perhaps be probably said, that aDeliriumis the Representation and various Composition of severalSpeciesto the Mind, without any Order or Coherence; together, at least most commonly, with irregular, or, as it were, undesigned Motions of the Body; that is, such a wandring and irregular Motion of the Nervous Fluid, whereby several Objects are represented to the Mind, and upon this Representation divers Operations perform’d by the Body, tho’ those Objects are not impress’d upon the Organs, nor those Operations or Motions deliberately commanded by the Soul.
The Mind indeed is the first Principle of all Muscular Motion; but in such Cases as these, its Promptitude to Action or Habit being so great, it is in a manner surpriz’d, and cannot recover it self after the Spirits are with violent Force determin’d pursuant to the Representation of theSpecies. For,asin the former State of Things a Man is said to act Rationally,sothis latter Case is call’d aPerturbation of Mind, that is, aDelirium; tho’ it is very manifest, that in reality the Defect is not in theRational, butCorporealPart; suchSpeciesbeing really presented to the Mind, upon which by the Order of our Constitution such Motions ought to follow in the Body.
Thus, for Instance, if the Liquor of the Nerves is, without the Presence of any thing hurtful, put into a Motion like unto that which a painful Impression makes in it, the same Bodily Actions must insue as proceed from Fear, Anger, or the like Passion, determining the Spirits towards the Muscular Parts; and a By-stander, who sees no reason for such a Representation made to the Mind, will presently conclude that the Person thus acting acts without or besides his Reason, that is, isDelirous; especially if the Hurry and Confusion of the Spirits be such, that not onlyone, butseveraldifferentSpeciesbe at the same time presented to the Mind; for a Man in this Case may act the Part of one Joyful, Angry, Timorous, or the like, without any appearing Reason, and all this almost in the same Moment of Time.
In one Word,Deliriaare theDreamsof those who areAwake; andas thesein UsSleepingare infinitely various and wonderfully Compounded, and all from the same commonCause, diversely pressing the Orifices of the Nerves, and thus making differentRepercussionsof their Fluid; andaswe all know that this Confusion making the Representation of severalSpeciesto the Mind, there do hereupon follow, tho’ the Body seem now at Rest and in perfect Repose, such Motions in the Organs as are usually the Effect of the Arbitrary Determination of the Spirits thither;soWe are now to enquire what Alteration of the Body made by this Venom, can be the Occasion of this Disorder and Tumult in the Nervous Fluid, which excites in the Party infected such surprizing, and almost contradictory, Representations.
Most of the Symptoms of those who are bitten by theTarantulaare at the first, that is, before they rise to aDelirium, plainly the same with those which the Bite of a Viper induces; without doubt therefore, as we have before observed of the common Spider, that it pierces the Flesh with its hookedForceps, and at the same time instils from theProboscisin the Mouth a liquid Venom into the Wound; so the likeClawsinThis(of which I have taken the Figure(51)out ofP. Bonanni,very much magnified(52),) do serve to make Way for an active and penetrating Juice emitted from the same Part.
Of the Nature of which we may probably conjecture, that it is, when mixed with the Blood, being exalted by the Heat of the Climate, of so great Force and Energy, that it immediately raises an extraordinary Fermentation in the whole Arterial Fluid, by which its Texture andCrasisis very considerably altered; the Consequent of which Alteration, when the Ebullition is over, must necessarily be a Change in theCohæsionof its Parts, by which theGlobules, which did before with equal Force press each other, have now a very differing and irregularNisusor Action, so that some of ’em do so firmly cohere together, as to composeMoleculæ, or small Clusters; upon which Account there being now a greater number ofGlobulescontained in the same Space than before, and besides, theImpulseof many of these when united together differing according to the Conditions of theirCohæsion, as to Magnitude, Figure,&c.not only will theImpetus, with which this Fluid is drove towards the Parts, be at some Strokes at least greater than ordinary; but the Pressure upon the Blood Vessels must be very unequal and irregular; and this more especially will be felt in them which are most easily distended; such are those of the Brain,&c.And hereupon the Fluid of the Nerves must necessarily be put into variousUndulatoryMotions, some of which will be like unto those which differentObjectsacting upon the Organs or Passions of the Mind, do naturally excite inIt, whereupon such Actions must follow in the Body, as are usually the Consequents of the severalSpeciesof Sadns, Joy, Despair, or the like Determinations of the Thoughts; and we shall readily pronounce one in this Condition,Sad,Joyful,Timorous,&c.and all without any apparent Reason or Cause; that is, in one Word, we shall say he isDelirous.
This is in some Degree aCoagulationof the Blood, which will the more certainly, when attended with an extraordinary Heat, as in the present Case, produce such like Effects as these, because theSpiritsseparated from the Blood thus Inflamed, and Compounded of hard, fixt and dry Particles, must unavoidably share in this Alteration; that is, whereas their Fluid consists of two Parts,Onemore active and Volatile, theOthermore Viscid and Glutinous, which is a kind of Vehicle to the former; theirActivePart will bear too great a Proportion to theViscid; and thus they must necessarily be of more than ordinary Volatility and Force, and will therefore, upon the least Occasion imaginable, be irregularly determin’d to every Part; and hereupon will follow Tremblings of the Body, Anger or Fear upon a light or no Cause, extream Pleasure at what is but a Trivial Entertainment, as Red, Green Colours, or the like; and on the other hand, wonderful Sadness at any thing not agreeable to the Eyes, as dark and black Things; nay, ridiculous Laughter, obscene Talk and Actions, and such like Symptoms; because in this Constitution of the Nervous Fluid, the most light Occasion will make as real aRefluxandUndulationof it to the Brain; that is, will present as lively and vividSpeciesthere, as the strongest Cause and Impression can produce in its natural State and Condition; nay, in such a Confusion, the Spirits cannot but sometimes, without any manifest Cause at all, be hurried towards those Organs, to which at other times they have been most frequently determined; and every one knows which they are in hot Countries and Constitutions.
We must however here remember what in the former Essay we mention’d of the Fluid of the Nerves, beingimmediatelyaltered by the venomous Juice.
It will perhaps make this Theory more than probable, to consider thatBaglivi(53), in the Dissection of aRabbitkill’d by aTarantula, found the Blood Vessels of the Brain very turgid, and the Substance of the Brain it self, that is, the Beginning of the Nerves, lightly inflamed, and with livid Spots here and there, theLungsand otherVisceradistended, with concrete glotted Blood, and large Grumes of Blood withPolypousBranches in the Heart, a large Quantity of extravasatedSerumupon the Brain, which is (as he takes Notice) mostly observed in those Subjects which died by a Coagulation of the Blood.
Neither is it amiss to remark, that in aChlorosisthere is nothing preternatural but aninfarctusof the Arteries, and hence a retardedCirculation, from an Evacuation suppress’d; and in this Country too much Heat; that is, a beginningCoagulation, together with an Inflammatory Disposition.
In short,Bellinihas at large demonstrated, howDeliria, as well asMelancholicasManaical, do proceed from a State of the Blood and Spirits, not unlike to that I have here described.
But no less a Confirmation of these Notions may we have from theCure; as to which it is observable, that theTarantatihave no Inclination todancebefore they hear the Musick; for being ask’d to do it, they answer, it is impossible, they have no Strengh.
As for the Reason therefore of their starting up at the first Noise of the Instrument, we must reflect upon what we have just now been saying concerning the Cause of the Motions of the Body in aDelirium; and consider withal, that muscular Motion is no other than a Contraction of the Fibres from the Arterial Fluid making an Effervescence with the Nervous Juice, which by the light Vibration and Tremor of the Nerve, is derived into the Muscle.
And thus we have a twofold Effect and Operation of Musick, that is, both upon the Mind and Body. For a brisk Harmony excites livelySpeciesofJoyandGladness, which are always accompany’d with a more frequent and stronger Pulse, or an increased influx of the Liquor of the Nerves into the Muscles, upon which suitable Actions must immediately follow; and if we remember what we before hinted, that People in this Country are sprightly and ready to Exercise, and that in such a state of the Fluids as we have describ’d, a slight Occasion presents as strongSpecies, as a greater can at another time: The Influence of Musick on theMindwill appear to be so much the more powerful and certain.
As for theBody, since it is sufficient for the purpose of putting the Muscles into Action, to cause thoseTremorsof the Nerves by which their Fluid is alternately dropt into the moving Fibres; it is all one whether this be done by the determination of the Will, or the outwardImpulsionsof anElasticFluid; such is theAir; and that Sounds are theVibrationsof It, is beyond dispute.
Thesetherefore rightly modulated may shake the Nerves as really as theImperium Voluntatiscan do, and consequently produce the like Effects.
That This is so, besides what we shall add anon, we may be convinced by a Story which Mr.Boyle(54)relates out ofScaliger, of a Knight ofGasconywhom the sound of aBagpipewould unavoidably force to make Water; for this Secretion we know is regularly the Effect of an Arbitrary Contraction of the Muscle of the Bladder.
The obstinate continuing of theTarantatiin this Exercise, is doubtless in a great Measure owing to the strong Opinion they have of receiving Advantage from it, being incouraged by the By-standers, and having always believed, and been told, that it was the only Cure in these Cases.
TheBenefitfrom Musick is not only their Dancing to It, and so evacuating bySweata great Part of the Inflammatory Fluid; but besides this, the repeated Percussions of the Air hereby made, by immediate Contact shaking the Contractile Fibres of the Membranes of the Body, especially those of the Ear, which being continuous to the Brain, do communicate their Tremblings to its Membranes and Vessels; by these continued Succussions and Vibrations, theCohæsionof the Parts of the Blood is perfectly broken, and itsCoagulationprevented; so that the Heat being removed by Sweating, and the Coagulation by the Contraction of the MuscularFibrillæ, the wounded Person is restored to his former Condition.
If any one doubts of this force of theAir, let him consider that it is inMechanics(55)Demonstrated, that the smallestPercussionof the smallest Body, can overcome the resistance of any great Weight which is in Rest; and that the Languid Tremor of the Air, which is made by the Sound of a Drum or Trumpet, may shake the vastest and strongest Edifices.
But besides all this, We must allow a great deal to thedeterminate Force, and particularModulation, of these trembling Percussions; for contractile Bodies may be acted upon by one certain Degree of Motion in the ambient Fluid, tho’ a greater Degree of it differently qualified may produce nothing at all of the like Effect; this is not only very apparent in the common Experiment of Two String’d Musical Instruments tuned both to the same Heigth, the Strings of the one being struck upon, those of the other will found, and yet a much greater Motion of the Air may not Cause any sensible Vibration at all in the same Chords; but also by theTrickwhich many have of finding the Tone or Note peculiarly belonging to anyWine Glass, and by accommodating theirVoiceexactly to that Tone, and yet making it loud and lasting, they will make the Vessel tho’ not touch’d, first to Tremble, and then Burst; which it will not do if their Voice be but a little eithet too low or too high.
This last Consideration makes it no very difficult matter to conceive the reason, why different Persons, infected with this Venom, do require oftentimes a different sort of Musick in order to their Cure, in as much as their Nerves andDistractileMembranes have differingTensions, and consequently are not in like manner to be acted upon by the sameVibrations.
Nor are We to wonder at the Oddness of this Method and Practice; forMusick, altho’ it be Now-a-days applied to quite different Purposes, was anciently made great Use of for the removing of many, and those too some of the most difficult and obstinate Diseases.
For this we have a Famous Testimony inGalenhimself,(56)who tells us, thatÆsculapius used to recover Those in whom violent Motions of the Mind had induced a hot Temperament of Body, by Melody and Songs.Pindar(57)mentions the same thing; and indeed from hence not only the Notion, but the very Name ofCharming(58)seems to have taken its Origine.Athenæus(59)relates thatTheophrastusin his Book ofEnthusiasmsays,Ischiadic Pains are Cured by the Phrygian Harmony. This sort of Musick was upon aPipe, and the most vehement and brisk, of all the Ancients knew; so that indeed it was said to raise those who heard it to downright Fury and Madness(60): And such we have observed to be required to the Venom of theTarantula.
But what is besides in this last Authority very observable to our Purpose, is the manner of using this Remedy, and that was(61)byPlaying upon the part affected, which confirms what we have just now advanced concerning the Effect of thePercussionof the Air upon the Contractile Fibres of theBrain, forPiping uponany Member of the Body, cannot be suppos’d to do Service any other way, than by such Succussions and Modulated Vibrations as we before mention’d. And this indeedCælius Aurelianus(62)agrees to, who calls this Practice,Decantare Loca dolentia; and says, that thePain is mitigated and discuss’d by the Tremblings and Palpitations of the Part.
Aulus Gellius(63)not only relates this same Cure ofIschiadicAils as a thing notorious enough, but adds besides out ofTheophrastus, thatthe Musick of a Pipe rightly managed healed the Bites of Vipers.
And not only doesApollonius(64)mention the Cure of Distractions of the Mind, Epilepsies, and several other Distempers this same way; butDemocritus(65)in his Treatise of Plagues, taught, thatthe Musick of Pipes was the Medicine for most Diseases; whichThalesofCreteconfirmed by his Practice, when sent for by theLacedæmoniansto remove from them the Pestilence, he did it by the help of Musick(66).
All which Instances do evince this Remedy to have been very ancient in many Cases; and indeed asCælius-Aurelianus(67), takes notice that the first use of it was ascrib’d toPythagorashimself, so He having settled and founded his Sect in those very Parts ofItalywhich are the Country of theTarantulæ, going then under the Name ofGræcia magna, nowCalabria, it is not, I think, at all improbable that he may have been the Author and Inventor of this Practice there, which has continued ever since. Especially sinceJamblichusaffirms(68), not only that he made use of Musick in Physick, but particularly that he found out and contrived some Harmonies to ease the Passions of the Mind, and others for theCure of Bites: But of Musick enough.
To conclude with this Poison, we may take notice that, as to theReturnof the Symptomes the next Year, That is owing to the same excessive Heat in those Months, acting again upon the small remains of the VenomousFerment; thusBartholin(69)relates a Story of a Melancholy Physician atVenicewho suffer’d the Attacks of his Disease only during the Dog-days, which yearly ended and return’d with them. A convincing proof how great a share Heat has in all these Cases.