a mortal antipathy-第30部分

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don't　believe　it　is　much　more　than　an　extreme　case　of　shyness；

connected；　perhaps；　with　some　congenital　or　other　personal　repugnance

to　which　has　been　given　the　name　of　an　antipathy。〃



Lurida　could　hardly　keep　still　while　the　doctor　was　speaking。　　When

he　finished；　she　began　the　account　of　her　discovery：



〃I　do　certainly　believe　I　have　found　an　account　of　his　case　in　an

Italian　medical　journal　of　about　fourteen　years　ago。　　I　met　with　a

reference　which　led　me　to　look　over　a　file　of　the　Giornale　degli

Ospitali　lying　among　the　old　pamphlets　in　the　medical　section　of　the

Library。　　I　have　made　a　translation　of　it；　which　you　must　read　and

then　tell　me　if　you　do　not　agree　with　me　in　my　conclusion。〃



〃Tell　me　what　your　conclusion　is；　and　I　will　read　your　paper　and　see

for　myself　whether　I　think　the　evidence　justifies　the　conviction　you

seem　to　have　reached。〃



Lurida's　large　eyes　showed　their　whole　rounds　like　the　two　halves　of

a　map　of　the　world；　as　she　said；



〃I　believe　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　is　suffering　from　the　effects　of　the

bite　of　a　TARANTULA！〃



The　doctor　drew　a　long　breath。　　He　remembered　in　a　vague　sort　of　way

the　stories　which　used　to　be　told　of　the　terrible　Apulian　spider；　but

he　had　consigned　them　to　the　limbo　of　medical　fable　where　so　many

fictions　have　clothed　themselves　with　a　local　habitation　and　a　name。

He　looked　into　the　round　eyes　and　wide　pupils　a　little　anxiously；　as

if　he　feared　that　she　was　in　a　state　of　undue　excitement；　but；　true

to　his　professional　training；　he　waited　for　another　symptom；　if

indeed　her　mind　was　in　any　measure　off　its　balance。



〃I　know　what　you　are　thinking；〃　Lurida　said；　〃but　it　is　not　so。　　'I

am　not　mad；　most　noble　Festus。'　　You　shall　see　the　evidence　and　judge

for　yourself。　　Read　the　whole　case；you　can　read　my　hand　almost　as

if　it　were　print；　and　tell　me　if　you　do　not　agree　with　me　that　this

young　man　is　in　all　probability　the　same　person　as　the　boy　described

in　the　Italian　journal；



One　thing　you　might　say　is　against　the　supposition。　　The　young

patient　is　spoken　of　as　Signorino　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch。　　。　　。　　。　　But　you

must　remember　that　ch　is　pronounced　hard　in　Italian；　like　k；　which

letter　is　wanting　in　the　Italian　alphabet；　and　it　is　natural　enough

that　the　initial　of　the　second　name　should　have　got　changed　in　the

record　to　its　Italian　equivalent。〃



Before　inviting　the　reader　to　follow　the　details　of　this

extraordinary　case　as　found　in　a　medical　journal；　the　narrator　wishes

to　be　indulged　in　a　few　words　of　explanation；　in　order　that　he　may

not　have　to　apologize　for　allowing　the　introduction　of　a　subject

which　may　be　thought　to　belong　to　the　professional　student　rather

than　to　the　readers　of　this　record。　　There　is　a　great　deal　in　medical

books　which　it　is　very　unbecoming　to　bring　before　the　general

public；a　great　deal　to　repel；　to　disgust；　to　alarm；　to　excite

unwholesome　curiosity。　　It　is　not　the　men　whose　duties　have　made　them

familiar　with　this　class　of　subjects　who　are　most　likely　to　offend　by

scenes　and　descriptions　which　belong　to　the　physician's　private

library；　and　not　to　the　shelves　devoted　to　polite　literature。

Goldsmith　and　even　Smollett；　both　having　studied　and　practised

medicine；　could　not　by　any　possibility　have　outraged　all　the　natural

feelings　of　delicacy　and　decency　as　Swift　and　Zola　have　outraged

them。　　But　without　handling　doubtful　subjects；　there　are　many　curious

medical　experiences　which　have　interest　for　every　one　as　extreme

illustrations　of　ordinary　conditions　with　which　all　are　acquainted。

No　one　can　study　the　now　familiar　history　of　clairvoyance　profitably

who　has　not　learned　something　of　the　vagaries　of　hysteria。　　No　one

can　read　understandingly　the　life　of　Cowper　and　that　of　Carlyle

without　having　some　idea　of　the　influence　of　hypochondriasis　and　of

dyspepsia　upon　the　disposition　and　intellect　of　the　subjects　of　these

maladies。　　I　need　not　apologize；　therefore；　for　giving　publicity　to

that　part　of　this　narrative　which　deals　with　one　of　the　most　singular

maladies　to　be　found　in　the　records　of　bodily　and　mental　infirmities。



The　following　is　the　account　of　the　case　as　translated　by　Miss

Vincent。　　For　obvious　reasons　the　whole　name　was　not　given　in　the

original　paper；　and　for　similar　reasons　the　date　of　the　event　and　the

birthplace　of　the　patient　are　not　precisely　indicated　here。



＇Giornale　degli　Ospitali；　Luglio　21；　18…。1



REMARKABLE　CASE　OF　TARANTISM。



〃The　great　interest　attaching　to　the　very　singular　and　exceptional

instance　of　this　rare　affection　induces　us　to　give　a　full　account　of

the　extraordinary　example　of　its　occurrence　in　a　patient　who　was　the

subject　of　a　recent　medical　consultation　in　this　city。





〃Signorino　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch　。　　。　　。　　is　the　only　son　of　a　gentleman

travelling　in　Italy　at　this　time。　　He　is　eleven　years　of　age；　of

sanguine…nervous　temperament；　light　hair；　blue　eyes；　intelligent

countenance；　well　grown；　but　rather　slight　in　form；　to　all　appearance

in　good　health；　but　subject　to　certain　peculiar　and　anomalous　nervous

symptoms；　of　which　his　father　gives　this　history。



〃Nine　years　ago；　the　father　informs　us；　he　was　travelling　in　Italy

with　his　wife；　this　child；　and　a　nurse。　　They　were　passing　a　few　days

in　a　country　village　near　the　city　of　Bari；　capital　of　the　province

of　the　same　name　in　the　division　（compartamento）　of　Apulia。　　The

child　was　in　perfect　health　and　had　never　been　affected　by　any

serious　illness。　　On　the　10th　of　July　he　was　playing　out　in　the　field

near　the　house　where　the　family　was　staying　when　he　was　heard　to

scream　suddenly　and　violently。　　The　nurse　rushing　to　him　found　him　in

great　pain；　saying　that　something　had　bitten　him　in　one　of　his　feet。

A　laborer；　one　Tommaso；　ran　up　at　the　moment　and　perceived　in　the

grass；　near　where　the　boy　was　standing；　an　enormous　spider；　which　he

at　once　recognized　as　a　tarantula。　　He　managed　to　catch　the　creature

in　a　large　leaf；　from　which　he　was　afterwards　transferred　to　a　wide…

mouthed　bottle；　where　he　lived　without　any　food　for　a　month　or　more。

The　creature　was　covered　with　short　hairs；　and　had　a　pair　of　nipper…

like　jaws；　with　which　he　could　inflict　an　ugly　wound。　　His　body

measured　about　an　inch　in　length；　and　from　the　extremity　of　one　of

the　longest　limbs　to　the　other　was　between　two　and　three　inches。

Such　was　the　account　given　by　the　physician　to　whom　the　peasant

carried　the　great　spider。



〃The　boy　who　had　been　bitten　continued　screaming　violently　while　his

stocking　was　being　removed　and　the　foot　examined。　　The　place　of　the

bite　was　easily　found　and　the　two　marks　of　the　claw…like　jaws　already

showed　the　effects　of　the　poison；　a　small　livid　circle　extending

around　them；　with　some　puffy　swelling。　　The　distinguished　Dr。　Amadei

was　immediately　sent　for；　and　applied　cups　over　the　wounds　in　the

hope　of　drawing　forth　the　poison。　　In　vain　all　his　skill　and　efforts！

Soon；　ataxic　（irregular）　nervous　symptoms　declared　themselves；　and　it

became　plain　that　the　system　had　been　infected　by　the　poison。



The　symptoms　were　very　much　like　those　of　malignant　fever；　such　as

distress　about　the　region　of　the　heart；　difficulty　of　breathing；

collapse　of　all　the　vital　powers；　threatening　immediate　death。　　From

these　first　symptoms　the　child　rallied；　but　his　entire　organism　had

been　profoundly　affected　by　the　venom　circulating　through　it。　　His

constitution　has　never　thrown　off　the　malady　resulting　from　this

toxic　（poisonous）　agent。　　The　phenomena　which　have　been　observed　in

this　young　patient　correspond　so　nearly　with　those　enumerated　in　the

elaborate　essay　of　the　celebrated　Baglivi　that　one　might　think　they

had　been　transcribed　from　his　pages。



〃He　is　very　fond　of　solitude；of　wandering　about　in　churchyards　and

other　lonely　places。　　He　was　once　found　hiding　in　an　empty　tomb；

which　had　been　left　open。　　His　aversion　to　certain　colors　is

remarkable。　　Generally　speaking；　he　prefers　bright　tints　to　darker

ones；　but　his　likes　and　dislikes　are　capricious；　and　with　regard　to

some　colors　his　antipathy　amounts　to　positive　horror。　　Some　shades

have　such　an　effect　upon　him　that　he　cannot　remain　in　the　room　with

them；　and　if　he　meets　any　one　whose　dress　has　any　of　that　particular

color　he　will　turn　away　or　retreat　so　as　to　avoid　passing　that

person。　　Among　these；　purple　and　dark　green　are　the　least　endurable。

He　cannot　explain　the　sensations　which　these　obnoxious　colors　produce

except　by　saying　that　it　is　like　the　deadly　feeling　from　a　blow　on

the　epigastrium　（pit　of　the　stomach）。



〃About　the　same　season　of　the　year　at　which　the　tarantular　poisoning

took　place　he　is　liable　to　certain　nervous　seizures；　not　exactly　like

fainting　or　epilepsy；　but　reminding　the　physician　of　those

affections。　　All　the　other　symptoms　are　aggravated　at　this　time。



〃In　other　respects　than　those　mentioned　the　boy　is　in　good　health。

He　is　fond　of　riding；　and　has　a　pony　on　which　he　takes　a　great　deal

of　exercise；　which　seems　to　do　him　more　good　than　any　other　remedy。



〃The　influence　of　music；　to　which　so　much　has　been　attributed　by

popular　belief　and　even　by　the　distinguished　Professor　to　whom　we

shall　again　refer；　has　not　as　yet　furnished　any　satisfactory　results。

If　the　graver　symptoms　recur　while　the　patient　is　under　our

observation；　we　propose　to　make　use　of　an　agency　discredited　by

modern　skepticism；　but　deserving　of　a　fair　trial　as　an　exceptional

remedy　for　an　exceptional　disease。



〃The　following　extracts　from　the　work　of　the　celebrated　Italian

physician　of　the　last　century　are　given　by　the　writer　of　the　paper　in

the　Giornale　in　the　original　Latin；　with　a　translation　into　Italian；

subjoined。　　Here　are　the　extracts；　or　rather　here　is　a　selection　from

them；　with　a　translation　of　them　into　English。



〃After　mentioning　the　singular　aversion　to　certain　colors　shown　by

the　subject　of　Tarantism；　Baglivi　writes　as　follows：

〃'Et　si　astantes　incedant　vestibus