Spider remedies in Homeopathy

Dr  Anoob K K

Homoeopathic Medicines made out of Spiders and their preparation, properties and clinical indications

Spiders form the largest and most widely distributed order of class of animals called ARACHNIDA, which also includes the scorpions, harvestmen, false scorpions, mites and ticks.

There are about 22,000 different species of spiders of which about 500 are British. The largest are found in Central America and have a body length of about 3.5 inches, the smallest species are less than a 25th of an inch long.

Bodies of animals belonging to class Arachnida – consist of 2 parts here are two types of spiders
1. ARANOMORPHAE or DIPNEUMONES, with one pair of lungs.
2. MYGALOMORPHAE or TETRAPNEUMONES, with two pairs of lungs.

Aranomorphae
1. They spin cobwebs in the air.
2. The poison glands and ducts are elongated and the claws move horizontally like pin.
3. Tarentula Hispanica

Mygalomorphae
1. Always live in funnels and tubular holes in the ground. Some close this beautifully lined holes with a lid like a hinge door.
2. They have short glands and ducts and their fangs move vertically.
3. Tarentula Cubensis Mygale

More species belong to the Aranomorphae and they are called the true spiders or tarentulas (in the new nomenclature tarantula).
Bodies of animals belonging to class Arachnida – consist of 2 parts
(a) The front – head and chest closely joined forming cephalothorax;
(b) The behind – the abdomen.

Greek Mythology
In ancient Greece there lived a woman called Arachne who was famous for her skill in weaving. Her skill at her art made her very conceited, thinking that there was none better than her. In her conceit she challenged the Goddess Athene to a weaving contest. Arachne’s effort was very beautiful and it aroused jealousy in Athene was felt threatened by Arachne. Athene was the goddess of all weaving. In her fit of rage she  tore Arachne’s wearing to pieces. Arachne was very upset and she hung herself, where upon Athene changed her into a spider and condemned her to go on weaving forever. Hence, the name Arachnida which really means “Children of Arachne.”
The have a pair of jaws, a pair of pincer claws and 4 pairs of legs, all attached to the cephalothorax.

Important medicines

1. Aranea Diadema
2. Aranea Ixolobo
3. Aranea Scinencia
4. Aranerum Tela (cobweb).
5. Latrodactus Hasselti
6. Latrodactus Kalipo
7. Latrodactus Mactans
8. Mygale Lasiodora
9. Tarentula cubensis
10. Tarentula Hispania
11. Theridion curassavicum.

Physical symptoms
1) All spiders have marked action or blood giving a picture of blood poisoning and septicemia (septic fevers)
Fever Septic: Terent- c +++
Gen : Septicemia; Terentula, terent-c +

2) Marked action on the central nervous system,

• Anxiety,
• Trembling,
• Twitching,
• Restlessness,
• Oversensitiveness,
• Nervous prostration,
• Chorea and involuntary movements of single or group of muscles.

Anxiety

• Aran Sci +
• Lat K +
• Lat M +
• Lat H +
• Tarent H ++
• Ther ++
• Mygal +
• Gen trembling ext (S)
• Aran +
• Mygal +
• Tarent his ++
• Ther +++
• Chorea
• Mygal l +++
• Tarent H +++
• Lat K+
• Taren C +

Restlessness.
Always changing places cannot remain still, rolling from side to side in bed.

• Arania +
• Arania Ixo +
• Lat M +
• Tarent H +++
• Ther +
• Mygal +

Oversensitiveness

• Arania Ixo +
• Tarentula +
• Ther +++
• Mygal L+

Prostration
Excessive weakness. Weakness from sexual excesses

• Aran d++
• Lat k +
• Lat H +
• Lat M+
• TAR h +++
• Tar C +
• Ther ++
• Mygal +
• Hysteria
• Mygal +
• Tarent H +++
• Ther ++

3) “Instability” is the outstanding feature. Instability of action, purpose, wisdom, etc.

4) Periodicity:- Symptoms recur annually.

• Also same hour (Aranea).
• Twenty first day. Tarent.++
• Tela araneurium +

7) Affinity towards skin. Causing deep destruction of tissues.
Carbuncles Tarentula c ++
Burning, Tarentula c +++
Actinomycosis,
Gangrene etc. Tarentula c +
8) Modalities.

• < Bright objects > Music
• < Touch, noise, light > Rubbing
• < Coition > Smoking.
• < After or during menses

9) Smoking amelioration

• Tarentula his
• Tarentula cu
• Arania diadima
• Arania ixodola.

10) Desires.

• Alcoholic drinks- Ther +
• Ashes – Tarentula hi +
• Bananas – Theridion +
• Cold drinks _ Tarentula his ++
• Seasoned food- Tarentula h ++
• Raw food- tarentula h +
• Tobacco- ther+
• Aversions.
• Bread – Tarentula h +
• Meat –  Ther +Tarentula h ++
• Chocolate – Tarentula h +
• Desire – Tarentula h +

11) Sexual
Sexual excitement ++. Lascivious. But aggravated coition – leading to sadness, weakness, dyspnoea etc.

12) Rapidity of onset of symptoms.
Doctrine of Signature:-
A spider attacks suddenly and disappears before the victim can react. This explains the sudden onset of symptoms.

12) Mental symptoms

• Spiders stay in burrows, holes and light and Aversion to society are marked mental symptoms.
• Selfish, cunning, whimsical and quarrelsome.
• Contrariness, within himself as well as to outer circumstances. Obstructive, interfering.
• Great aversion to bright light, objects, colour, etc.
• < Contradiction. A/F Contradiction
• Music, sensitive to +3 . All complaints react to music not only mental, but physical symptoms also > Music.
• Contrariness. Cheerfulness or gaiety alternating with Anger, irritability. Aversion to company but wants someone present nearby.
• Hysterical. Causeless weeping, feigning and malingering.
• All mental symptoms ameliorated by eating. walking).

13) Dreams of spiders
(1) Tarentula hispanica

• Animals
• Animals wild
• Animals pursuing him
• Bulls pursuing him
• Business
• Contempt
• Danger
• Dead bodies
• Death
• Horse falling from horse
• Insults (abused)
• Long
• Many (dreaming)
• Misfortune (accidents, disaster, events, unfortunate, loss)
• Pleasant (joyous, peaceful, quiet, wonderful)
• Pleasant after 2 h.
• Pursued being animals by
• Pursued, being, bulls by
• Remembered

(2) Theridion

• Body parts of teeth breaking off
• Disease teeth breaking off
• Horses
• Horse riding
• Journeys (difficulties, foreign country)
• Journeys horse back, on
• Many
• Riding
• Teeth breaking off

(3) Mygale

• Absurd (strange)
• Ludicrous

(4) Aranea Diadema
Frightful (anxious)

INDIVIDUAL DRUG PICTURES 

Arania diadima
Source: PAPAL- CROSS SPIDER
Proved by Grauvogl in 1832.
1. Hydrogenoid constitution
Aggravation of all symptoms and complaints by exposure to damp and cold.
2. Periodicity
Unvaried and unchanging periodicity.
3. Indicated in malarial fevers
4. Headache > by smoking in open air.
5  Pain Os calcis, sensation of swelling
Kent’s repertory Extremities, pain ,boring,heel os calcis,continued motion > arania
6. In fever chilly day and night always > in rain.
7. Tooth ache < in night. Periodicity is marked.

Arania ixobola

• Right sided head ache > in open air,
• Smoking.
• Sciatica left sided < standing for a long time.
• Trembling, sensation of an internal trembling.
• Gen < rich food (fat) after drinking alcohol.
• > Walking in open air, coffee, smoking etc.

Arania scinencia

• Source; A gray spider found in Kentucky. This spider does not spin web and is found in old walls.
• Constant twitching under eye lids.
• All symptoms are aggravated in a warm room.

Arania tela

• SOURCE: Cobweb of black spider found in barns, cellars, dark places.
• Periodic head ache with extreme nervous erythism.
• Obstinate intermittence.
• Symptoms come suddenly with cold clammy skin.
• Dry asthma.

Latroductus mactants

• Source: spider found in South America.
• Prepared from small female spider.
• In this group of spider after mating female eats male, which is much smaller in size. Hence it is known as “ black widow spider”
• Proving done by John Brand bury and Dr. A W Blair.
• Introduced in to materia medica by John and Tafel.
• It produces a typical picture of Angina pectoris accompanied by restless ness and prostration.
• Violent praecordial pain extending to axillae and down to arm, forearm and to fingers with numbness of extremities.
• Pulse feeble and rapid.
• In synthesis the rubric chest, angina
• Latro M +++
• Tarent H ++
• Ther ++

Latroductus hasseli

• Source: New south Wales black spider.
• In chronic blood poisoning.
• Arrest intense pain in pyemia.
• Great edema of neighboring hood of wound.
• Constant delusion of flying ( not in synthesis )

Latroductus kalipo

• Source: New Zealand spider.
• In lymphangitis and nervous twitching.
• Scarlet burning eruption.

Mygale lasiodora cobano.

• Source: large black live Cuban spider
• Prover: J.C. Howard.
• Prepared by putting live black Cuban spider in alcohol.
• One of the principle medicine for chorea.
• Twitching of the muscle of the face is characteristic.
• Unsteady gait. Constant motion of whole body.
• Mouth and eyes open and close in a rapid succession.
• Gen > in deep sleep. < Morning.

Tarentula cubensis

• Source: it is a large brown hairy spider found in Texas and South California.
• There is an interesting history of this remedy as described by T.F. Allen. Tarentula Cubensis was being shipped to London in a container with alcohol to preserve it. On the way the container broke, the alcohol ran out and the specimen decomposed.
• However, a potency was made from this specimen and thus Tarentula Cubensis is a very important remedy for Carbuncles, abscesses, boils and swellings.

Genaral features

• A toaxemic medicine
• Adapted to most severe type of inflammation and pain and persistant prostration.
• Pain of deathsoothes the last strugglegreat hyperaesthesia of female sexual system leading to extreme sexual excitement.
• Crabuncle, burning stinging pain
• Abcess with pain and inflammation predominates.
• Better by smoking in open air.

Tarentula hispanica
Source :The spider from which this remedy is prepared is a species of wolf spider LYCOSA TARENTULA. It is found mainly in Italy & Spain. Lycosa is a viscous looking creature with two large fangs and long legs which enable it to scurry rapidly in pursuit of its prey.
Poisoning effects
The bite of the Tarentula is very painful and it produces a state called `Tarantulism or `Tarantism’ the symptoms are either accompanied with or followed by an irresistible urge to dance with frenetic agitation.
Tarantism, which was impossible to control could be suppressed and cured by music with a fast and strong rhythmic beat. The victims on hearing the music became excited and danced faster & faster till they fell down tired and sweating and got rid of the poison. This would last for 3 days.

Pharmacology
Venom of this spider has affinity for the motor and sensory functions of the nervous system resulting in severe restlessness and uncontrolled agitation.
In the sensory sphere, there is excessive sensitivity and excitability of all senses light and glaring colours irritate and aggravate. Also noise frightens and aggravates.
Affinity with the lymphatic and circulatory systems gives rise to cellulitis, lymphnode enlargement and vascular congestion, associated with facial pallor.

 Proving
 It was conducted and described by Marquis Nunez of Spain.

Typology
Especially suited to mobile, restless people who cannot stay in one place and move constantly. The Tarentula type can be described as a woman with a changing, contradictory personality.
She jumps from a state of happiness to melancholic sadness from calm and gentle behaviour to extreme violence.
To study the mind of Tarentula, one learns quite a lot by observing the patient in the clinic. As soon as he enters the clinic he just roams around the corridor.

Tarentula  (From the Repertory)
Mind :To study the mind of Tarentula, one learns quite a lot by observing the patient in the clinic. As soon as he enters the clinic he just roams around the corridor.
ANXIETY, causeless.
Busy, fruitless
HURRY, haste
They are usually dressed in bright colours to attract the attention.
COLOURS charmed by blue, green, red.
Whenever a question is asked to them by the physician either they do not follow or ….
ABSENTMINDED, unobservant
ANSWERS, questioned, does not answer, when
ANSWER, aversion to
ANSWER, refuses to
UNDERSTAND questions addressed to her does not …. if at all they answer very abruptly, curtly and sh
ANSWER, abrupt.
During the interview they are quite in attentive….
CONCENTRATION, difficult, conversation during.or when they are sitting in front of the physician, they make various gestures.
GESTURES, grasping, fingers in the mouth, children put
GESTURES, grasping, hands restlessly busy.
GESTURES, nervous
GESTURES, plays with his fingers.
GESTURES, wringing the hands
PULL, one’s hair desire to
SCRATCHES with hands.
It the patient is a child, he is extremely restless, will touch various things kept on the physician’s table. They usually detest being examined.
JUMPING
MISCHIEVIOUS
RESTLESSNESS, anxious.
ANGER, when touched.
FEAR, of touch
LOOKED AT, cannot bear to be
PRESENCE OF STRANGERS,
PRESENCE OF STRANGERS, aggravates.
If the parents scold them, they are completely indifferent or they retaliate and may become violent, tear their clothes, pull their hair or they have a habit of hiding and their parents have to search for them.
ANGER, violent
BITES, himself
KICKS
RUNS about
STRIKING, anger from
CONTRARY
HIDE, desire to
Surprisingly, they may behave so nicely and leave such a good impression on the physician, that many a times the physician feels that the parents are giving an exactly opposite description.
IMPRESSIONABLE.
Sometimes when they are out of control, the parents have to hit them. This increases their violence tremendously
RAGE, pulls hair of bystanders.
STRIKING, head his
STRIKING, himself.
STRIKING, strikes her head with her hands, her bo
ACTIVITY, fruitless
ACTIVITY, mental
GESTURES, grasping or reaching at something, at flocks; carphologia.
GESTURES, involuntary (motion hands) knitting, as if
GESTURES, makes
GESTURES, ridiculous or foolish.
IMPULSE run to, dromomania.
INDUSTRIOUS, mania for work.
MUSIC, ameliorates, restlessness of extremities.
RESTLESSNESS, 5 h.
RESTLESSNESS, anxious, compelling rapid walking.
RESTLESSNESS, bed, go from one bed to another, wants to
RESTLESSNESS, bed, tossing about in
RESTLESSNESS, menses during
RESTLESSNESS, driving about.
RESTLESSNESS, music from
HURRY, everybody must hurry,
HURRY, movements in
HURRY, walking while
IMPATIENCE
There patients are guided by whims. They are extremely sly and cunning having fear to face real opposition. Dr. Margaret Tyler in her drug pictures mentions about sudden violence what she calls as “unexpected behaviour.” This cunning behaviour is characterised by destructive movements.
CRAFTY
DECEITFUL, sly
DESTRUCTIVENESS, cunning
FEIGNING, paroxysms, faintness
FEIGNING, sick
WEEPING, hysterical
DESTRUCTIVENESS, clothes of
MANIA, destruction, followed by laughter and apologies, of paroxysmal.
RAGE, fury
SHRIEKING, screaming, shouting.
TEARS hair, and presses her head.
THREATENING, destroy, threatens to.
THREATENING, kill, threatens to
THROWS, things away.
VIOLENT, deeds of violence, rage leading to. They have extreme disposition to
CHEERFUL, gay, mirthful
DANCING, wild
ECCENTRICITY
EXCITEMENT, music from
EXCITEMENT, dancing, stinging and weeping with
EXHILARATION
EXTROVERT (people)
FOOLISH, behaviour
INSANITY, laughing with
JESTING
JESTING, walking on
LAUGHING, company in
LAUGHING, desire to laugh
LAUGHING, immoderately
LAUGHING, involuntarily
LAUGHING, mocking
LAUGHING, nervous
LAUGHING, sardonic
LAUGHING, screams, then
LAUGHING, stupid expression, with
LOQUACITY
MANIA, singing with
MOOD, changeable, variable
PLAYFUL
SHRIEKING, laughter, after
SINGING, dancing and weeping
SINGING, hoarse until very, exhausted and
SINGING, involuntarily
VIVACIOUS
VIVACIOUS, alternating sorrow with.

Leading Symptoms
1. Extreme restlessness The patient must be in constant motion, though motion aggravates. Desire to jump. Boundless energy. Compelled to be busy, to act. Hyperactivity, rapid movement. Hands and legs in constant motion. Tries to work his over excitability but lacks control.
2. Sensitive to music Better by music, rhythm, (massaging, riding on horseback, smoking) and dancing. Even physically affected by colour.
3. Chilly yet desire for, and better in open air.
4. Twitching, The nerves are highly strung. Jerking. Starting from sleep. Restless hands, legs.
5. Sexual Erethism Sensitive genitals.
6. Aversion Meat, bread, chocolate.
7. Desire Spicy food, sand, col
7. Desire Spicy food, sand, cold drinks, highly seasoned food, salty things, lime, raw food, sand and ash. (They scrape the burnt food from bottom of vessel).
8. Hysterical disposition Feign sickness, worse when observed, better when alone. Sudden changes in mood. Fainting, twitching, choking. Selfish, hateful, foxy, cunning, strange fancies with regard to colours. Violence. Throws things, pulls hair, destructive. Aversion to red, green black and all striking colours. Desire to lie down in the dark and not to be talked to. Angered from contradiction.
9. Periodicity of complaints Some complaints occur at the, same hour or at the same period annually.
10. Right sided affections Involvement of the left arm and right leg. (Opposite to Agaricus).
11. Hyperaesthesia Of skin, genitals, eyes (Photophobia), finger tips (needle like sensation).

PARTICULARS
Modalities

• < or > music.
• < any strong emotion (grief, excitement).
• < cold, damp weather, exposure to cold air.
• < when walking; yet cannot keep still.
• < from noise.
• < light touch.
• < by wetting hands in cold water.
• < Bright light.
• < When at rest.
• < at night.
• < after coitus.
• < washing head.
• > Dry sunny days, in the sun.
• > Open air (though vertigo is aggravated out of doors).
• > warm room.
• > From firm pressure; friction; rubbing.
• > After a nose bleed.
• Dancing.

Dr Anoob K K  BHMS,MD(Hom)
Medical Officer,Dept. of Homoeopathy, Govt. of Kerala