In Texas, No Less!

[Stanley A. Schultz]

One and All -

I stumbled upon this webpage and thought you might be interested in it. Search for the word "tarantula' and see what comes up!

http://www.rootsweb.com/~onlanark/NewspaperClippings/Spencer/BathurstCourier1860_61.htm

The only question is, "Which Perth?" Ontario, Canada? Australia? The United Kingdom? Someplace else?

If any of you have the time, perhaps you could offer the next part of the puzzle.

[Colin D Wilson]

Bit of late night research is always fun

There is a Perth Courier that was established in 1834, this is Perth near Ottawa.

The monetary amounts are in pounds, shillings and pence though which is strange, the 1800's was the era of the silver dollar as i perceive it.

It says in the artcle "second son of Rev. Thomas Fraser" so this could have been a very young, sickly child in an area with no medical resourses, hence his unfortunate passing away.

[Peter Lacey]

Ah, American History.
It seems foreign coins, notably British, French and Spanish were used alongside American notes during this time and the value of each coin was relative to the precious metal within it. In 1773 these coins were made part of the US coinage system. It wasn't until 1857 that Congress passed a law removing the coins from circulation. Oh, and there was some kind of "tiff" between the
US and UK to settle the matter

[Colin D Wilson]

Thanks for that Peter
I was under the impression that the "foreign" coins were melted down and turned into the silver dollar (although at times it would have been anything but silver if you think about it)
you learn something new everyday eh (hence my signature)

a tiff between the US and UK governments....surely not!!!

[Peter Lacey]

Thanks for that Peter
I was under the impression that the "foreign" coins were melted down and turned into the silver dollar...
a tiff between the US and UK governments....surely not!!!

ah, and therein lies the prob. Whilst the UK government allowed paper notes to be made in US they refused to allow coinage. The US didn't like this approach and the rest, as they say, is history

As for melting down, could be an interesting question as even today melting the Queens coin is quite a serious offence.

[Colin D Wilson]

You're not even supposed to place a coin "Heads down" on a surface if you go back through non rescinded laws.
I wonder how many people were tried for being caught playing shove 1/2 penny with the "royals" head to the table in the early days.

[Peter Lacey]

oooh that rings a bell.
On a side note (hell, lets face it, we've strayed) when I went to Thailand we were warned not to stop fallen coins rolling by stamping on them, that was considered a gross insult to the King.

Now, I wonder what T bit that boy

[Colin D Wilson]

right good point....back on track...

Aphonopelma are widely distributed throughout...there's one genus.

also though there are Loxosceles reclusa in the southern areas (infact a lot of the Loxosceles genus are around, but some aren't medically significant.....that is if Loxosceles reclusa is eventually found to be, there's a lot of scientific theory and some proven cases that the "after effects" of a bite are due to another medical problem with the individual that may be "activated" or "accelerated" after being bitten.

[Louise~Nichols]

One and All -

I stumbled upon this webpage and thought you might be interested in it. Search for the word "tarantula' and see what comes up!

http://www.rootsweb.com/~onlanark/NewspaperClippings/Spencer/BathurstCourier1860_61.htm

The only question is, "Which Perth?" Ontario, Canada? Australia? The United Kingdom? Someplace else?

If any of you have the time, perhaps you could offer the next part of the puzzle.

I'm joining the puzzle-club! Ok...I can rule out the UK...we don't spell labour without the *u* or misdemeanour without the *u* as per the literature on that link above.
Australia became a possible on my list due to the Bathurst reference which is synonymous with Oz...but to get a report of a fatal bite in Texas...ummm...that would bring us back to The Perth Courier, near Ottawa which Colin mentions...which changed its name from The Bathurst Courier to The Perth Courier in 1857 and fits the dating perfectly.

Type of eight legged beasty? Hmm...I don't think it would matter which type bites someone with sensitivity...if you're allergic, you're allergic, so my guesses are death by anaphylaxia from the bite of a regularly occurring specimen ie. Aphonopelma...with a second possibility of some critter with necrotising capacity, like a plain old Hobo bite which became cellulitis, went on to septic shock then caused death due to lack of ability to treat the condition...and maybe a tarantula got the blame due to ignorance?

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... In 1973 these coins were made part of the US coinage system. It wasn't until 1857 ...

(My embolding.)


Just to clarify... You mean 1773, yes?

[Peter Lacey]

ah, I've been attacked by forum gremlins, changing my dates and making me look stoooopid.
Thanks for your 2nd correction, I must try to proof read more (you wouldn't believe I'm in pre-print)

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... Ok...I can rule out the UK...we don't spell labour without the *u* or misdemeanour without the *u* as per the literature on that link above. ...

But, Canadians generally also use the British spellings rather than the American adulterations thereof.

... Australia became a possible on my list due to the Bathurst reference which is synonymous with Oz...but to get a report of a fatal bite in Texas...ummm...that would bring us back to The Perth Courier, near Ottawa which Colin mentions...which changed its name from The Bathurst Courier to The Perth Courier in 1857 and fits the dating perfectly. ...

True, but then we have the issue of trying to explain why a Canadian newspaper would be reporting on a tarantula bite in Texas. Going a bit far afield because business was slow at home? Needed something of a scandal sheet nature to renew interest? Or, as someone else suggested, the good Reverend either had roots or relation in Bathurst/Perth. For that matter, why would the notice have appeared in Australia or England?

... Type of eight legged beasty? Hmm...I don't think it would matter which type bites someone with sensitivity...if you're allergic, you're allergic, so my guesses are death by anaphylaxia from the bite of a regularly occurring specimen ie. Aphonopelma...

I have NEVER heard of anyone suffering an anaphylactic response, or even a true allergic response, to a tarantula's bite. If you have any data or references, I'd love to hear it.

... with a second possibility of some critter with necrotising capacity, like a plain old Hobo bite which became cellulitis, ...

It turns out that the hobo spider (a European import into the American northwest and Canadian southwest centered on the Seattle, Washington area) is probably not the cause. Laboratory tests using them on rats or guinea pigs (I don't remember which) failed to produce any results.

In addition, there are numerous cases of people suffering "hobo spider-like" lesions in areas where hobo spiders simply have never existed, although that's how they were reported by emergency room personnel.

So, the search is on for the real culprit or culprits, and my vote is for some bacterial invasion that's not normally looked for in the standard tests, or difficult to isolate and identify.

...and maybe a tarantula got the blame due to ignorance?

You are probably correct.

Enjoy your mysteriously fatal tarantula.

[Peter Lacey]

Looking at the Library and Archives of Canada we can find instances of The Rev. Thomas Fraser (formerly of Lanark) 1791-1884.

http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aaweb-bin/aamain/itemdisp?sessionKey=999999999_142&l=0&d=2&v=0&lvl=1&itm=22473704

So it would seem to substantiate the Reverend with Canada as illustrated in the Bathhurst/Perth Courier. There's also plenty of information on the "white settlers" - the Frasers from Scotland in 1815. I can't find in either the Canadian or Texan archives a birth or death register for Alexander.
I did however find this topic in another forum

I also found this from The New York Times, Dec 21, 1900:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00E1D7153DE433A25752C2A9649D946197D6CF

and this:

http://medind.nic.in/imvw/imvw9192.html

[James Box]

who knew a spider bite could cause gangrene by itself
that's some good detective work there, Peter!

[Stanley A. Schultz]

...
http://medind.nic.in/imvw/imvw9192.html

In this article that Peter found, did anyone else pick up on this: "one case of gangrene of the foot and urticarial rashes in another person in a remote village of Churulia ..."

Urticarial rash? Chilobrachys? India? Might this be a first for the Old World? I need to get a copy of that paper.