A MAN BITTEN BY THE KATIPO AT WAIWERA. SEROUS RESULTS.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 620, 11 May 1876, Page 3

A MAN BITTEN BY THE KATIPO AT WAIWERA. SEROUS RESULTS.

Mn J. M. Mp.ek, of Waiweiaj gives the bllowing nariative of the effects of the )ite of the Katipo, ov native spider. Mr Meek writes j — " Permit me to pubish tlio following facts, which have •eference to tho nearly fatal icbu lt from he bite of a little black spider, which the i lativea call k<itipo. It was on the morn, ng of the 24th ult., at 3 p.m., my eon (a nan of thirty-one years of age) was iwakened fiom his sleep by the bite of one )f those poisonous instcts, and came into >ur bed-room abont an hour afterwards, nd exclaimed to bis mother and myeelf, 'I am bitten by one of those spideis that he natites hnvo so often spoken to mo bout, and am full of pain. See, hero it !, in tho bottom of tho candkstick." I wked at the insect, whose body was about he size of an ordinary pea, and in colour early approaching to black. His mother, n looking at his back, eavv the puncture he spider had made, and immediately ommenced sucking the wound. 1 proeeded to the hotel, and obtained the scricos of Dr Mohnbecr, when on my return thim to my house, my son was Bufferthe most excruciating pain in the loin, the virus apparently working its ray in that direction. Alter an applicaon of ammonia by the doctor, the pain lifted from the groin and worked its 'ay up the spine, affecting the arms and ue&tdming the jpmainder of ihe day, and isfciuittill the fallowing uioriiiiiflr. mv sou

moaning with pain the whole- lime. On Tuesday the pain became intense, the virus working its way into his legs, causing the veins to M\ell very much. We applied tuvnip poultice to the wound, mid when taken oil, a quantity of black fluid came from the boro. During tlw afternoon, the pain in the legs and big toea still continued. Dr Mohnbeor prescribed a liniment, which, after nibbing well into the leg, caused a black, inky-coloured fluid to emit itself thi'ongh. the poms of the skin in large drops, from which time my son began to improve, and has continued improving ever since, but suffers much from weakness. From the time he was bitten on the Monday till the Friday following he lost exactly l'Jlbs in flcßh. I forgot to sitte that when he was first bitteu I gave him small doses of brandy at intervals during the fiisfc two d iys, which seemed to have the effect of greatly relieving the pai». I am informed by To Hemera, native chief here, and also by oilier natives, that many fatal cases among their lanls have taken place by the bite of the katipo ; they also believe the sufferer is sure to die if they cannot find the spider ; but, on the contrary, if they timl it and burn it in the fire, the p&tient gets well in three d.iys. If they I cannot iind the insect, they fcfc fire to the house and bum buildir.g,effects, and everything else. In this ease, the spider was found, and Dr Mohnbeer his it preserved in sphits in his surgery. I wiife this to caution persons to look well to their bed-clothes before reining to rest, as I have witnessed persons suffering from the bite of snakes and other reptiles in Australia, but never saw anyone in such agony as my son during the time the poison was taking efiecb."