• Restlessness, cannot keep quiet in any position
• At every menstrual cycle, throat, mouth and tongue intolerably dry, especially when sleeping
• When there is no one observing, there is no hysteria
• Painfully sensitive spine, touch excites pains in heart and chest

Source: Animal kingdom
Synonyms: Lycosa tarantula, Spanish spider, Aranea tarentula
Family: Araneideae
Prover: Dr Nunez
Temperament: Hysterical
Thermal Relationship: Chilly patient

Introduction and History: The name ‘Tarentula’ covers a number of poisonous spiders, but in homeopathy, unless otherwise distinguished, it refers to Tarentula hispanica, Lycosa tarentula. Nunez is our chief authority. He instigated the proving and collected much outside information bearing on the action of the poison. Tarentella is a dance named from the city of Tarentum. Tarantism is a dancing mania, set up in persons bitten by the Tarentula, or in those who imagine themselves bitten

Habit and Habitat: Italy, Spain and America.

Preparation and Parts Used: Tincture of the living spiders. Mother tincture is prepared from the living spiders dissolved in alcohol. Higher potencies are prepared from the mother tincture.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is adapted to highly nervous organisms, especially in chronic affections where the whole body or right arm and left leg are affected.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts on cerebrospinal nervous system, pneumogastric nerve, heart, spine, respiration, right side, etc.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It predominantly affects the nerves; producing remarkable nervous symptoms like, hysteria, chorea, etc.; many times there is a reflex from the generative sphere.
2. It acts on circulation, especially on the heart and arteries producing a contraction of vessels.
3. Acts on the female generative organs producing neuralgia.
4. It acts on blood producing toxaemia, anthrax and gangrene.

Ailments From: Fall, unrequited love, bad news, scolding, punishment, Sepsis.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Desire for music and dancing.
2. The patient is restless, fidgety; hurried; in constant motion, though walking makes symptoms worse.
3. He rolls on the ground from side to side or strikes vehemently with his feet; or rolls the head and rubs it to relieve his distress.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

1. Symptoms appear suddenly with violence.
2. There is quivering, jerking, trembling and twitching.
3. SYNALGIAS or associated pains.
4. Headache with pain in uterus, throat and eyes; pain in the face with stomach pain; pain in the ears with hiccough, etc.; or pains from sexual excitement.
5. Violent pains, neuralgias, as if thousands of needles were pricking.
6. Deep septic conditions; abscesses, it evacuates the pus rapidly.
7. It is useful for noma.
8. EMACIATION OF THE FACE; emaciation, as if the flesh fairly fell off the bones.
9. Patient runs better than walking.
10. There are irregular movements.
11. Numbness with prickling.
12. It is useful for cancer; fibrous tumours.

Important Characteristic Features

Central nervous system: Constant movement of the legs, arms, trunk, with an inability to do anything. Hyperaesthesia in which least excitement irritates, followed by languid sadness; hyperaesthesia of the extreme of finger. Restlessness, can not keep quiet in any position; must keep in motion, though Walking worsens all symptoms.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Motion, contact, touch of affected parts, noise, change of weather.

Amelioration: In open air, music, rubbing affected parts.

Remedy Relationships

Antidote to: Lach.

Partially antidotes: Puls, Mag-c, Mosch, Cupr, Chel, Gels, Bov, Carb-v.

Comparison

Chorea and hysteria with great hilarity, singing and dancing: Croc, Tarent.

Aimlessly fussy: Arg-n, Lil-t, Tarent.

Dosage: 30 to 200c and higher potencies.

Repetition: Single dose of high potency is enough. To be repeated when the symptoms call for it.

Therapeutic Value: Angina pectoris, Cancer cervix, Chorea, Cough, Dementia precox, Diabetes, Dysmenorrhoea, Fibroid tumours, Hysteria, Hystero-epilepsy, Kleptomania, Nymphomania, Renal colic, etc.