Read before the Annual Meeting of the International Hahnemannian Association, Philadelphia, july, 1926.
Tarentula hispanica is a member of the spider family Lycosa, of tropic or sub-tropic origin, and is commonly known to the world for its fatal poison and the intense sufferings which this brings to its victims. The poison is a glandular secretion and this concentrated essence is a vehicle transmitting to the victim the characteristic nature of the creature which produced it. The provings of this poison and the indicated therapeutic uses following thereon are derived from a prepared tincture of the living spider, whose influence pervades this product.
In the individual human subjected to the influence of Tarentula we perceive a diversion of the powers and capacities mankind, temporarily perverted to the service of a tyrant- lordship; a disporting of the fulfilled nature of a vicious beastling displayed through activities of that higher type, then let us take first an understanding view of the characteristics peculiar to this beastling.
The intelligence of the creature appears as disorderly. Instability is the outstanding feature; Instability of action, of purpose.
Adroit, conceited of its cleverness; yet stupidly assuming that false methods and false motives will escape detection,it elaborates maneuvers to deceive. Appearing in view, even parading its presence; then seeking cover, it hides from detection, unexpectedly to emerge from ambush to attack is victim elsewhere unaware.
All purpose, whatever and however carried out, excludes every consideration of the interest, the desire or the purpose of another. Only self-interest and desires are observed; and these are whimsical, changeful without limit, without calculation or foresight.
Love, perverted in this nature, appears as love of annoying: making its presence an occasion of discomfort, disturbing the peace of others.
It contributes no joy and cultivates no joy; invites from others no contribution that makes for happiness. To the contrary; eluding every advance toward itself or its habitat, accounting such approach an intrusion or interference, it asserts privilege to conduct a joyless life in its own untrammeled way-no difference at what cost to others.
A Through Non-Conformist.
Satisfaction? No such state obtains in Tarentula. It is life is no parallel for the ease-indulging domestic cat which takes all places, times, occasions and devices for thorough enjoyment of its comfort. Tarentula attains no ease, no lazy comfort, no satisfaction. Its habit is restless activity. Seeking no ease to itself, it invades the peace of its environment. Would one seek to accommodate to its mood or desire; it then reverts and will substitute other mood or desire quite to a contrary. Contrariness within itself, as well as contrariness to outer circumstance and will, distinguish this pervert nature.
The guiding-light is darkness; avoiding light, Tarentula shuns all investigation of its way or wish and, withdrawing to whatever convenient lair of the moment, by hidden devious path it makes its way to another point of vantage, resenting with insult any endeavor to change its course or to dislodge it.
This disposition, so pictured as indisposition in the provers and in the patients affected not similarly to Tarentula- provers, presents a mentality selfish, impish, whimsical, mischievous, disporting itself in disregard for ordinary custom and usual expectoration and inconsiderate of convenience or comfort of all others. It may be, in a measure,curbed by the effort is necessary, for avoidance of the perverted expression.
Clever, adroit, furtive sly ways of carrying through courses of action which, were they announced, would be opposed by attendants or associates; these ways, and the doing of unusual things trivial in themselves and fulfilling no purpose engage the individual affected. Here are peering and “peekings” into things and into affairs; hiding things. He is destructive; interfering with plans; menacing the safety of himself and of others.
He loves to assume the false as a basis of conduct; and depends on whims for guidance; this mind does not submit its behavior, its thought, its desires, to the light of wisdom or of truth. It shuns such gauge or investigation and darts from idea to idea with the agility and the seeming purposelessness of the spider. Defense from seeming interference is aggressive,through some sort of vicious thrust, cutting remark or threatened injury.
OBSTINACY is aid to all the whimsicality.].
It is intolerant of contradiction. Ailments appear, following contradiction.
Music is to this nature hateful, and weakening; the demonic vibrations are cancelled-subdued through music and the dance itself express through their rhythm-impulse and action the sadness, excitability, mania, dancing and distress seen in victims of this spider-bite-the picture styled “tarantism” as also in these victims such symptoms, by fit music appropriately played are soothed, relieved, and ultimately subdued.
Provers and patients are “Sensitive to music”; sadness and excitability are primary effects (of music) but amelioration follows. Not only the mental features; pains and bodily conditions also are ameliorated by music.
RESTLESSNESS tormenting, intense, demands continued motion. In bed; rolling from side to side; when able to be out of bed: compels to walk, even though walking aggravates symptoms of the body. Here is is shown the contrariness within himself.
AVERSION TO BEING TOUCHED is manifest; yet rubbing is demanded; Symptoms ameliorated by rubbing. With headache; wants hair brushed or head rubbed. rubs her head against extraneous surfaces; the wall, the bed, the pillow; sometimes in Chorea the face is rubbed against the chest or the shoulder. An impelling demand induces rubbing,when there is no pain it is an insatiable friction-impulse difficult to resist; spasmodic, habitual. It has been explained as “irritation of nerve- endings”.
CHOREA: twitchings and jerking-continuing into night-of single muscles,groups of muscles, entire limb or head; and more general, in body-contortions or in the dance. Ameliorated through influence of music.
Indulgence in many purposeless oft-repeated motions: involuntary motions; or voluntary, yet so induced that will- control is practically impossible against them. Apparently a craving for the sensation must be indulged but is not thereby satisfied; is but momentarily relieved. This may be called”indulging sensuality”. the more it is indulged, the less will it be denied.
Sense-indulgence is further manifest tin sex-sensual dominations:
Hysterical emotions; intense sexual excitements; lasciviousness., Too numerous for detail in a brief outline are the many symptoms centering in the sexual organs and the sex- functions; aggravation of other symptoms after coition; sadness, difficult respiration, cough; general weakness specifically increased by sexual excitement.
Of persons whose life-habits or culture in large degree inhibit the frank exercise of sexual indulgence, sensual domination may gain expression through other symptoms; Sensations and distresses that fix the individuals consciousness upon the pelvic organs; or so-called nervous symptoms not recognized as related to sexual irritation; such may be functional disorders of rectum or of bladder, or some sort of frictional symptom or uncontrollable restlessness of feet, or off legs, having origin in this domination.
Sometimes a sweet cheerfulness and gaiety; while at other sometimes,. anger, irritability. Quarrelsome, excitable; exhilarated or sad; but whatever the emotion-quite unwarranted by circumstances or environment, and unrelated to persons or incidents;- merely an outcropping of the erratic mood.
Aversion to company; but wants someone present. Making persistent demand on those present to minister to complaints. Complaints concurrent and so numerous, they cannot all be met nor ministered to at once. Satisfaction is impossible.
Gratitude and content are expelled from consciousness. Discontented with himself and with all things about him.
Delusions and imaginings are varied; sometimes droll and some times horrible sensations within himself or visions of things unseen.
Delirium, mania, shrieking, singing;erotic mania,or stupefaction, or indisposed to talk.
Sensation of being small (contrast to aur., plat., stram.).
Weeping, causeless, in sleep.
Weakness: 9-11 A.M., 5 P.M., walking, from sexual excitement.
On occasion; Strength increased.
In these states no lack of vitality is expressed. alert activity challenges the endurance of a strong mind and body to follow it, to meet it, to out wit or circumvent it, to soothe the patient from her distresses. Ones resources are heavily taxed for devising means to assuage the distresses and complaints;the forlorn victim herself gives many admonitions: “Take care, dont touch me there”; “Cant you brush my hair; it might take away this awful pain? ” “Dont raise that shade; I cant stand the light”.
Light aggravates: wants to scream.
