a mortal antipathy-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　eo　colore　difusis；　qui　Tarantatis

ingrates　est；　necesse　est　ut　ab　illorum　aspectu　recedant；　nam　ad

intuitum　molesti　coloris　angore　cordis；　et　symptomatum　recrudescantia

stating　corripiuntur。'　（G。　　Baglivi；　Op。　　Omnia；　page　614。　　Lugduni；

1745。）



〃That　is；　'if　the　persons　about　the　patient　wear　dresses　of　the　color

which　is　offensive　to　him；　he　must　get　away　from　the　sight　of　them；

for　on　seeing　the　obnoxious　color　he　is　at　once　seized　with　distress

in　the　region　of　the　heart；　and　a　renewal　of　his　symptoms。'



〃As　to　the　recurrence　of　the　malady；　Baglivi　says：

〃'Dam　calor　solis　ardentius　exurere　incip　at；　quod　contingit　circa

initia　Julii　et　Augusti；　Tarantati　lente　venientem　recrudescentiam

veneni　percipiunt。'　（Ibid。；　page　619。）



〃Which　I　render；　'When　the　heat　of　the　sun　begins　to　burn　more

fiercely；　which　happens　about　the　beginning　of　July　and　August；　the

subjects　of　Tarantism　perceive　the　gradually　approaching

recrudescence　（returning　symptoms）　of　the　poisoning。　　Among　the

remedies　most　valued　by　this　illustrious　physician　is　that　mentioned

in　the　following　sentence：

〃'Laudo　magnopere　equitationes　in　aere　rusticano　factas　singulis

diebus；　hord　potissimum　matutina；　quibus　equitationibus　morbos

chronicos　pene　incurabiles　protanus　eliminavi。'



〃　Or　in　translation；

〃'I　commend　especially　riding　on　horseback　in　country　air；　every　day；

by　preference　in　the　morning　hours；　by　the　aid　of　which　horseback

riding　I　have　driven　off　chronic　diseases　which　were　almost

incurable。'〃



Miss　Vincent　read　this　paper　aloud　to　Dr。　Butts；　and　handed　it　to　him

to　examine　and　consider。　　He　listened　with　a　grave　countenance　and

devout　attention。



As　she　finished　reading　her　account；　she　exclaimed　in　the　passionate

tones　of　the　deepest　conviction；



〃There；　doctor！　　Have　n't　I　found　the　true　story　of　this　strange

visitor？　　Have　n't　I　solved　the　riddle　of　the　Sphinx？　　Who　can　this

man　be　but　the　boy　of　that　story？　　Look　at　the　date　of　the　journal

when　he　was　eleven　years　old；　it　would　make　him　twenty…five　now；　and

that　is　just　about　the　age　the　people　here　think　he　must　be　of。　　What

could　account　so　entirely　for　his　ways　and　actions　as　that　strange

poisoning　which　produces　the　state　they　call　Tarantism？　　I　am　just　as

sure　it　must　be　that　as　I　am　that　I　am　alive。　　Oh；　doctor；　doctor；　I

must　be　right；this　Signprino　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch　。　　。　　。　　was　the　boy

Maurice　Kirkwood；　and　the　story　accounts　for　everything；his

solitary　habits；　his　dread　of　people；it　must　be　because　they　wear

the　colors　he　can't　bear。　　His　morning　rides　on　horseback；　his　coming

here　just　as　the　season　was　approaching　which　would　aggravate　all　his

symptoms；　does　n't　all　this　prove　that　I　must　be　right　in　my

conjecture；no；　my　conviction？〃



The　doctor　knew　too　much　to　interrupt　the　young　enthusiast；　and　so　he

let　her　run　on　until　she　ran　down。　　He　was　more　used　to　the　rules　of

evidence　than　she　was；　and　could　not　accept　her　positive　conclusion

so　readily　as　she　would　have　liked　to　have　him。　　He　knew　that

beginners　are　very　apt　to　make　what　they　think　are　discoveries。　　But

he　had　been　an　angler　and　knew　the　meaning　of　a　yielding　rod　and　an

easy…running　reel。　　He　said　quietly；



〃You　are　a　most　sagacious　young　lady；　and　a　very　pretty　prima　facie

case　it　is　that　you　make　out。　　I　can　see　no　proof　that　Mr。　Kirkwood

is　not　the　same　person　as　the　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch　。　　。　　。　　of　the　medical

journal；that　is；　if　I　accept　your　explanation　of　the　difference　in

the　initials　of　these　two　names。　　Even　if　there　were　a　difference；

that　would　not　disprove　their　identity；　for　the　initials　of　patients

whose　cases　are　reported　by　their　physicians　are　often　altered　for

the　purpose　of　concealment。　　I　do　not　know；　however；　that　Mr。

Kirkwood　has　shown　any　special　aversion　to　any　particular　color。　　It

might　be　interesting　to　inquire　whether　it　is　so；　but　it　is　a

delicate　matter。　　I　don't　exactly　see　whose　business　it　is　to

invest