Tarantism

Abstract

When tarantism first occurred is not known, but Santes de Ardoynis,4 a Venetian physician, in his De venenis written in 1446, but published in 1492, gives a description of the symptoms following the bite of a tarantula.Katner5 is of the opinion that this is the first description of the condition.Nevertheless, Ardoynis mentions many earlier writers such as Avicenna, Rhazes, Gilbert the Englishman, Albucasis, and others who wrote on the cure of the tarantula's bite.Nicholas Perotti (1430-1480)6 is said by some including Hecker7 to have given the first description of tarantism.Perotti said that those bitten seemed stupefied, but at the sound of music would jump and dance.Some became miserable, others would laugh and weep.He was followed by Benivieni (1440-1502)8 who said: "A servant of mine was bitten by a scorpion.His whole body was drenched by a sudden sweat so cold that he felt as though crushed under the coldest snow and ice.But I administered to the shivering man a dose of theriac in strong wine, and he was immediately cured."Alexandro (1460-1523),9 a Neopolitan lawyer, in his Genialum dierum gave the first eyewitness account.The following is taken from the translation of Katner'0 who used the 1673 edition:I remember travelling together with some acquaintances in the wide, uneconomical regions which were drying out under the scorching sun.We heard the sound of drums, whistles and flutes in all the towns and villages and upon inquiring as to the meaning of it we were informed that in these regions it was a means of healing the people bitten by the tarantula.Then we went to a village and saw a young man affected by this disease.He seemed to have become insane, singng absentmindedly to the beat of a drum, while his arms and legs and the entire body moved in beat with the music.It was obvious that the sound of the drums pleased him and lessened his pain and he started to listen more and more to the instrument.Gradually his movements became more lively and finally he started to dance.It could appear to someone as being humorous and ridiculous but when the drummer stopped to play for a short period of time, the patient suddenly seemed to go numb, lose his senses and faint.However, as soon as the sound of drums could be heard again, the patient regained his strength and started to dance with more vigour than before.Mattioli (1500-1577)" gives a good description of the widely different reactions following the bite of a spider.Some sing, others laugh, weep, cry out, or sleep.Vomit- ing is common.Some patients jump and dance, while others sweat and tremble.Some are in continual fear, while some are delirious, distraught, or behave like maniacs.Marxl2 points out that almost the same symptoms were described earlier by Perotti.

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