Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/35



His Author having described the structure of the body of this Tarentin Spider, and the chief parts thereof, together with its bigness, qualities, food, abode, manner, and season of stinging, and aptitude to live very many days without any visible food; passeth to discourse of the nature and effect of the poison, which being viscous and tenacious, exserts it self not presenty, but lurks a good while in the body, and after the revolution of a year, being stirr'd and subtilized by the heat of the Sun, is rowsed and put into motion, producing for the first two years only various diseases in the patient, as a dejection of the appetite, burning Feavers, Cachexy; after which do follow very strange and surprizing effects, in some singing and laughing; in others, weeping and crying; in others, sleeping; in others, continual watching; in some, vomiting; in some, dancing and sweating; in some, madness; in some, the fancy of being Kings; in others, that of being slaves: Just as Drunkeness renders some morose, silent and fearful; others bold and clamorous. This only he affirms to be common to all that are bitten by the Tarantula's, that they delight in Musick, and are thereby moved either to dance, or to gesticulate. He observes also, that some of these Patients are delighted with certain sorts of Colours, some with Yellow; some Green; some Red. But he noteth this as the most wonderful effect, that this poison so fixeth those imaginations, which a man chanceth to have when he is bitten, that he, that shall then think himself a King, will persist in that fancy ever after, till he be cured.

The cure of the poisonous effect, he with others assigneth to be Musick, and the dancing, consequent thereto; which the Patients do perform as if taught: Yet so, that not every one is afected with every song, but each with such an one, as is suitable Rh