Spiders form the largest and the most widely distributed order of class of animals called arachnida which also includes scorpions , false scorpions, mites and ticks. There are about 22000 different species of spiders of which about 500 are British.

There are about three subclasses of arachnida family. They are

 Acaridae
 Aranidae
 Scorpoidae

Spiders -(ARANIDAE)

There are two types of spiders

1. Aranomorphae or dipneumones with one pair of lungs. They spin cobwebs in air
2. Mygalomorphae or tetrapneumones with two pairs of lungs. They always live in funnels and tubular holes in ground.
    Most species belongs to aranomorphae and they are called true spiders or tarantulas,

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

In the ancient Greece there lived a woman cached ARCHNE who was famous for her skill in weaving Her skill at her art make her very conceited thinking that there was no one better than her. In her conceit, she challenged godess ATHENE for a weaving. Arachne's effort was very beautiful and it aroused jealousy in athene who was felt threatened by arachne. In her fit of rage she tore arachnes weaving into pieces. Arachne wasv ery upset and she hung herself whereupon Athene changed her into a spider and condemned her to go on weaving for ever. Hence the name arachnida which means children of Arachne.Lack of antennae distinguish spiders from insects. Only few spiders are poisonous to man.

Action of toxin

The symptoms of spider bite are very unpleasant, The venom is a neurotoxin which causes paralysis muscle cramps and severe pain. Breathing becomes difficult and victims run a high fever. The must dangerous of all spiders is the black widow spider which has a slimy black body. Its venom is said to be most poisonous and is 15 times more powerful than that of rattle snake.

The members of arachnidae family are

ACARIDAE

# Trombidium

ARANIDAE

1 Aranea didema
2- Aranea scinencia
3. Aranea ixobola
4. Aranearum fceia
5. Aranea ancuia
6. Lateroductus mactans
7. Laterodactus katipo
8. Laterodactus haseiti
9. Mygate lassidora
10. Tarentula cubensis
11. Tarentuta hispama
12. Theridion

SCORPIOIDAE

* Scorpiodae

Spheres of action

1. Central nervous system by the action on CNS especially on the motor nerves of spinal cord it produces symptoms tike chorea, hysteria and involuntary movements. Its action on other important centers produces hyperesthesia and convulsions. Other nervous symptoms are anxiety , trembling restlessness , over sensitiveness and nervous prostration. Action on uterus and ovaries leads to neuralgia.

2. Cardio vascular system

Acts on heart and blood vessels and produces constriction of circular muscle fibers and cardiac muscle fibers. Action on papillary muscles of heart through spinal nerves produces murmurs

3. Arteries -constriction of blood vessels

4. Haematotoxic actions degeneration and destruction of blood vessels.

COMMON CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES

1. Periodicity
Most of the spider remedies produce marked periodicity of complaints, so they are important remedies for intermittent ever
 Tarentula hisp - complaints recur at the same period annually or at the same hour every day or every other day
 Tarent cub - intermittent fever agg evening troubles occur at the same hour every day
 Aranea diadema-- chill occurring at same hour every day or every other day
 Aranearum tela - periodical disease in broken down persons. Periodic headache with extreme nervous erythrism and obstinate intermittent

2- Side affinity
 Araenea diadema - right sided (right trifascia) nerve and right chest)
 Mygate lasi - right sided
 Theridion - left sided
 Tar-hisp - left sided affections but many symptoms then alternate to right and then to back
 Tar cub - left sided
 Trombidium - ieft sided
 Iatero mact - left sided
 Laterodactus kalipo-left sided

3. Chilliness and coldness - Almost alt spider remedies are chilly or cold
 Aranea diadema - great sensitiveness to cold or damp air. Extreme chilliness, chill as if bones are made of ice. Coldness
  with pain in long bones , any amount of covering gives no warmth.
 Aranearum tela- obstinate and continuous chillness with intermittent fever
 Lat-mactans- chilliness with icy coldness of extremities, skin icy cold like marble even in fever
 Tarentula-hisp - chilly/yet desire for and is ameliorated in open  air

Exception-
 Aranea scinencia - intolerance of warm weather, all symptoms are aggravated in warm weather. Indolence, weakness and prostration
 Lat mactans - severe prostration ,but patient cannot lie still due to restlessness
 Tarentuia cub - easy and persistent prostration in septic conditions and diphtheria

4.Sexual complaints like increased desire nymphomania and chordee
 Tar-hisp- nymphomania and increased desire in both sexes.
 Mygale- violent painful erection and chordee
 Theridion - sexual desire decreased, weak erection during coition, hysteria during puberty and climaxis
 Later-kattpo- itching of perpuce
 Aranea diadema- menses early,

5. Angina pectoris
 Later-mactans- violent pains in chest radiating to neck and shoulders and to left arm and ringers- Screams with pains as if
he will lose his breath and die
 Tarent-hisp- angina pectoris ameliorated in open air, constrictive feeling in chest

6. Chorea and convulsions.
 Mygale lassidora-  twitching of fascial muscles with hot and flushed face. Constant motion of whole body, uncontrollable
movements of hands and legs which stops only during sleep
 Tarent hisp- violent involuntary movements of different parts of body, chorea of right arm and left leg
 Tarentula cub - left sided chorea

7. Lymphangitis
 Lat-hasseili- malignant conditions with pyeamia. Great edema of the neighbor hood of wound

 lafcero-kalipo -affected area is scarlet red with stinging and burning pains
 Mygale - redness along the course of lymphatics with anxiety and twitching of limbs. Local inflammation from foot to knee
leaving large violet spot which changed hi a few hours to green, red to blue discoloration along the course of lymphatics
 Tar-hisp - affects the lymphatic leading to congestion cellulites and lymphadenitis

8. Sleep disorders - almost all spiders disturbs sleep except aranea scinencia and aranearum tela which has very much disposition to sleep
 Aranea diadema - restlessness and frequent waking with sensation of enlargement and heaviness of arm as if arms and hands were enormously swollen
 Lat-hasseltt - sleeplessness in malignant septic conditions ^ Tar cub- sleep prevented by harsh cough
 Tar-hisp-sleeplessness awakens with weeping arid is cross
 Thehdion - late sleep in morning; bites tongue in sleep

9. Palpitation and changes in circulation: almost all spiders produces rapidity of pulse rate
 Theridion- rapid pulse in morning
 Mygaie- palpitation and rapid pulse
 Latroductus mactans-  very rapid pulse 130-140/min too rapid to count and too thready to be felt especially in angina
 Tarentula hisp- trembling and tremulousness of hearts from a bad news- Pulse hard and irregular

  Exception - Aranearum teia - reduces pulse rate
                     Laterodactas katipo-almost pulse less/ very slow about 12-14/min

11.Fear apprehension and anxiety- almost all spiders have great fear of death
 Lat-mact - extreme anxiety, feels she will lose her reason and die,fear of death especially in -angina,
 Lact kalipo--   Anxious and extreme pallor

 Mygale- fear of death
 Thendion- despondent want of self confidence, great inclination to be startled
 Taren-hisp - fear when outside her usual surroundings. Fear of death and of impending calamity
 Aranea diadema- fear of death

12. Restlessness
 Taren.hisp - never sits at one place, always in motion although motion does not relieve.
 Lat.mact- restlessness and prostration with angina pectoris
 Mygaie.lass- restlessness, constant motion of hands and feet.
 Tarenbuia cub - restless feet
 Therid- restless/ busy starts, desire to occupy himself

13. Twitching of muscles and other nervous symptoms
 Aranea diad-numbness of parts supplied by ulnar nerve
 Aranea scinencia - constant twitching of tower eyelids
 Aranearum tela- numbness of hands and legs
 Lat-katipo - twitching of muscles ,nervous twitching all over with spasm of masseeter muscles
 Tanhisp - twitching of muscles/ nerves highly strung restless and hyperesthesia of skin eye and fingertips
 Theridion-hypersensitiveness, every shrill sound and reverberation penetrates the whole body especially teeth
 Mygate- twitching and contraction of fascia. muscles » Scorpio-tetanus and strabismus
 Lafc-haseltf- paralysis of lower limbs

14. Depression and sadness - depression is a feature of many spider remedies.
 Tar.hisp-depression with prostration. Melancholy with quick change of mood and becomes cheerful Longs for death
 Mygate-sad alt day, depressed with anxious expression
 Theridion - depression with headache and weep
 Lat-katipo-nervous depression

15. Septic conditions
 Tarentula.cuben- malignant septic conditions/ carbuncles, boils/anthrax, abscess etc with atrocious burning pains. A good remedy for plague
 Tat. hasseli _ septic states with pain and pyeamia

16- Amelioration by smoking
 Aranea diad_ pain in right trifascial nerve is ameliorated by smoking in open air. Headache relieved by smoking in openair

17.Hysteria
 Tarentcula.hisp - foxy cunning manipulative in nature, complaints more when somebody observes her. Feigns
sickness airways in motion
 Theridion

18. Intercostals neuralgia
 Aranea diadema - sever intractable pains along nerves aggravated m damp weather and has marked periodicity
 Theridion - pain in upper part of chest and apex of right lung with tendency to pthisis

19.1rritability, anger and excitement.
 Tar.hisp - irritable and anger from contradiction
 Mygale-excitement about business
 Thehdion-excitement aggravated at night
 Lat mactans-screams with excitement

20.Affections of bones caries and necrosis
 Theridion- caries and necrosis of bones. Pain In all bones as if broken
 Aranea diadema - pain in tendoachilles, periostitis of os calcis, necrosis and bones feels a& if made of ice

21.Haemorrhagic tendency
 Aranea diadema - haemoptysis in anemic subjects. Hemorrhage from uterus and lungs.
 Latmactans - haemorrhage, black blood , non coagulable 

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