Spider Group

Introduction
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Subphylum: Chelicerata
• Class: Arachnida
• Clade: Tetrapulmonata
• Order: Araneae/Araneida
• Spiders belong to the order Araneida.
• They are members of a group of arachnids.
• They are characterized by having six pairs of appendages which includes 4 pair of legs
& 2 main body parts which are attached by a narrow stalk.
• Habitat: They are found all over the world such as
-deep seas.
-tall mountains .
-forests.
 Habitat
• Therefore it is called cosmopolitan creature.
• They can survive in every kind of terrain i.e.in air, water, on ground or
wherever food is available.
• Some spiders can survive without any water even for the whole year in
deserts.
• Their size varies from size of a pin to a human hand.
• They don’t possess any bone, any wing & shell.
• Their colour varies from brown to black.
• The species of wolf-spider,lycosa to which Tarentula belongs commonly
found in Italy,Spain,&in Southern part of Europe.
 Group Classification
• Spider belong to the phylum Arthropoda.
• Siders are included under class Arachnida.
• Body Arachnid are segmented with well developed heads & hard
external skeleton.
 Distribution
• Spiders are abundant & distributed world widely.
• As per zoologists estimation around 30,000-40,000 species of spiders
exist on earth .
• There are some 34000 species have been described.
• They found everywhere except Antarctica.
 Size & Life Span
• Size: Size ranges from tiny mite 0.1mm long to 18 cm black scorpion
of Africa.
• Life-Span: Spider lives upto one year where Tarentula can live upto 15
years.
 Life Situation & Social behaviour
• Spiders change little during growth except in size
• They usually molt or shed their cuticles, seven or eight times before maturing
• If a leg is broken off during development, it is usually replaced by showing
very high regenerating capacity.
• Social behaviour: Some tropical species of spiders are social & live in large
communal webs containing hundreds of individuals, most of them are female.
- They co-operate to build & repair the web.
- A pack of spiders overpowers & kills the insects that have been caught in the
communal web.
- Feeding is communal.
 Historical Background
The term “Arachnida” origin from Arachnae- the proud Lydian maid the
daughter of Idmon of Colphon in Lydia, a Dyer in people who in ancient
Greek mythology challenged Atheni, the Greek Goddess to a contast of
Weaving & was defeated.
There are many old wives tales about spiders such as Robert Bruce-The
king of Scotland won a Kingdom thanks to spider.
The art of spinning & weaving too has been copied from nature’s
masterly spinner & weaver- the spider.
A cobweb is called “ Ghabajariyu” which means “dressing for a wound”
Spiders are encountered in history , literature, mythology &art .
 Spider Venoms
• A few spiders are toxic to humans. The venom of the black widow spider &
other Latrodectus genus act as a nerve poison.
• The bite of the brown recluse & others of the Loxosceles genus may cause
localised tissue death .
• Other venomous spiders such as mygalomorph funnel weaver of South
eastern Australia & some members of family Theraphosidae-Tarentula of
South America.
• The venomous nature of Tarentula has an unusual history. It recieved it’s
name from the town Tarento, from where every year it migrates to the other
parts .
• The first case of tarentism was reported in 1370.
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• Symptoms appeared are as follows-
: Pain varying from every part of the body.
: Swelling
: Palpitation
: Vomiting
: Delirium followed by melancholia, depression, & ending in death
• In North America Cheiracanthium mildei, is responsible for the site of
bite to become necrotic occasionally.
 Uses & Importance
• Spiders are predators & because of their abundance they are the
most important predators of insects
• They have been used to control insects in apple orchard in Israel &
rice fields in China.
• It has been observed that feeding on insects in South America rice
fields of various North American crops.
 Important Remedies
• Aranea Diadem- Spider papal cross
• Aranea Sciencia - Gray sider
• Tarentula Hispanics – Spanish spider
• Tarentula Cubensis – Cuban spider
• Theridion
 Doctorine of Signature
• Spider has 8 legs surrounding the whole body in constant motion,
therefore the patient are always restless.
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• Spider captures it’s prey in a very cunning & deceptively woven web
so the patients are cunning & deceptive in their behaviour.
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• The action of the poison of the spider is very violent, therefore the
complaints of the patient are also violent.
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• The male spider is known to dance during the mating season to
attract females. The patients desires to dance which relieves his
complaints.
 Characteristics of the Spider group
• Constitution: Restless & Nervous hypersensitive people.
- Suited for those who are quick & agile, having colorful personalities.
- People with artistic traits & very active.
• Miasm: Tubercular & Syphilitic.
• Diathesis : Tubercular.
• Thermal Relationship(RHC): Chilly, Very sensitive to cold.
• Sphere of Action: Mind, Blood, Skin, CNS, Peripheral Nerve, Head,
Heart, Extremities, Reproductive organs.
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• Ailments from: Noise.
- Motion.
- Grief.
- Riding.
- Sea-travelling.
- Sepsis.
- Stooping.
- Sound.
- Washing.
- Fright.
- Disappointed love.
 Patho-Physiological Changes
• It poisons the blood.
• The poison decomposes the blood.
• It has paralyzing action on nerves & irritates the peripheral nerves.
• The important symptoms are:
- Severe pain with burning sensation.
- Intense pain in extremities, lumbar region & severe backache.
- There is increased arterial pressure & reduce arterial pressure is seen.
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• Cutaneous & Mucosal findings: Roselous, vesicular papule with
pustular rashes on body with intense itching .
• GIT findings: Acute abdominal pain with rigidity of abdominal muscle.
• Urinary findings: Moderate albuminaria & Haematuria.
• CNS findings: Frequent psychomotor excitation.
- Occasional delirium.
- Rarely meningeal symptoms with contraction of extremities.
- Paralysis of facial muscles.
- Widening of pupils.
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• Blood findings: Moderate leucocytosis with raised ESR.
- Increased neutrophil count.
 Characteristic Mental Symptoms
• Fearless, courageous, spider personalities are courageous people.
• They are brave enough to face the challenges of life.
• Mischievous, Witty & Cunning.
• Cunning & Destructive:- A peculiar characteristic described as fox-like
cunning & destructive.
-They draw their legs inward & are inclined to be mischievous &
destructive to others.
-When spiders are frightened they feign death or go to a cataleptic
reflexes.
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• Insanity: Paroxysms of insanity with restlessness & threatening
words.
- When questioned they do not answer.
- Their motions are ridiculous.
• Excitement with singing, dancing & weeping.
• They not only imagine as sick but also pretend sick when they are
not.
• Restlessness: They are extremely restless & excitable both physically
& mentally.
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• Nervousness- They are nervous & jerky.
- Restlessness with irritability.
- Mind is always in tantrum & turmoil.
- It goes in a fit of rage .
- Sees monsters, animals, faces, insects & ghosts.
• Time passes too quickly- Aversion to work.
- Finds pleasure in nothing.
• Sociability- Very sociable.
- Like company & conversation.
- They are people who are fashionable & aristocratic.
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- Spider people want to possess power.
- They are very friendly & jovial.
• Emotional- They are emotionally imbalanced.
- Gets easily affected by emotions.
- Consolation causes weeping.
- They are very expressive of emotions & highly susceptible.
- Fear & grief affects them seriously.
- Least contradiction affects her.
- Broods over her troubly until they prey upon her system.
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- Therefore she becomes more & more nervous & weakened.
• Sadness- The moods change with wonderful rapidity.
- She laughs & jokes & quickly bursts into tears.
- Her manner becomes hurried & she does things hastily.
- There is marked grief, fright, & disappointment.
• Violence- Violence is a strong feature of spiders.
- There is violence with anger, tears clothing etc.
• Hysteria- Hysterical conduct.
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- Joyousness & singing.
- When there are no observers she has no attacks of htsteria.
- Feels as if head does not belong to her .
- Luminous vibration before the eye.
- Becomes restless at the height of paraoxysm.
 Characteristic Physical Symptoms
• Restless is the common feature of the spiders in the physical &
mental level.
• Hypersensitiveness is present in the spider group.
- Every sound penetrates the teeth & every penetrating sound extends
through the whole body.
• Hyperesthesia all the symptoms are worse from grief & excitement.
• Pain- The nerves are very sensitive.
- Pains as if a thrill is passed over the body in waves & nausea follows.
- The spine is very sensitive.
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- Pain between scapular.
- Itching of back.
- There is great spinal irritation.
• Chorea is the common feature of the spider group.
- There is a constant twitching of face muscles.
- There is jerking of hand & jerking of muscles of one hand & one leg.
- When she makes efforts to talk , whole words are jerked out.
• Unsteadiness- The gait is unsteady with constant motion of legs.
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• Tingling & tremors are excessive.
• Vertigo on closing the eyes, from motion, stooping, on board a vessel,
noise with nausea, vomiting & cold sweat.
- Vertigo with dim vision & pain in eyes.
• Nausea with many complaints such as nausea with headache worse
on warm drinks.
• Periodicity of symptoms is seen in the spiders. All the symptoms
occur & recur at same regular intervals.
- Febrile & neuralgic symptoms return with clock like regularity.
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• Palpitations with mitral murmurs in heart. There is sensation of
trembling in heart with irregular pulse.
- There is sudden thumping in the heart as from fright though not
frightened.
- Sensation as if the heart is compressed or squeezed.
• Extremities are markedly affected in the spider group.
- They show marked weakness & prostration from any excitement.
- There is numbness of the legs.
- The legs show twitching & jerking movements constantly.
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• Sexual erethism- Females of spider group, show violent ,
uncontrollable sexual erethism. There is nymphomania.
• Violent itching of the genitals extending far up into the vagina . There
is increased sensitiveness of the genital organs.
• Craving raw food, cold drinks, bananas, alcoholic drinks, tobacco.
• Aversion from bread , meat, chocolates.
 General Modalities
• Aggravation : Motion
- Touch
- Noise
- Jar
- Sound
- Damp weather
- Periodical
- At night
- Sleep
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• Amelioration: Open air

- Music
- Dance
- Warmth
 Clinical Conditions
• Anthrax
• Abscess
• Carbuncles
• Chorea
• Epilepsy
• Fever
• Gangrene
• Hysteria
• Multiple Sclerosis
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• Nymphomania
• Menierre's disease
• Paralysis Agitans
• Pruritis vulvae
• Septic fever
• Spinal irritation
• Tebes Dorsalis
• Ulcers
• Vertigo