Cantharides

**Avemaria Okolo** **Cantharides (Spanish Fly)** The Cantharid which is also known as a Spanish Fly or Blister beetle, is a bright blue and greenish colored specie of beetle often found in the honey suckle and olive trees of Southern Europe, Asia and Mediterranean. countries. Some of its other less common species names include the Lytta Vesicatoria, Cantharis Vesicator, Insecta Coleopteran and is in the Meloidae family of beetles. (Fundukian, 2009) It has been used as far back as the 1800’s for the homeopathic remedy which makes up almost 5% of the beetle, known as Cantharis or Canthradin. (Taberner,1985) Canthradin has been extracted from Cantharides to produce Canthradin, a medical solution, by the drying and crushing of their wings. The powder produced is then used in medications for creams and pills to treat some skin ailments such as warts and blisters, a poison and has also been used as an aphrodisiac or sex drive enhancer. Some of these ues of the Cantharides have been controversial and heavily disputed due to their effect and their safety as pure Canthradin is highly toxic and lethal if ingested. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2010) **Cantharides as a remedy for Skin and Other Ailments** As early as the 1800’s, In Britain, cantharides where used as blister producing compounds in medications to stimulate the abscission and removal of warts on both animals and humans since it contained qualities which would agitate and draw blood to blisters causing it to swell, rupture and relieve the pressure and pus which inflamed the wart. This was done through using very small quantities that where diluted with other chemical compounds to diminish the active effect of the poisonous qualities of the Canthradin (Northern, 2002). In China, it has also been used as an “anti-tumor agent” and was study for its potential use for cancers, yet it use for its therapeutic dose was apparently found to be close to that of the established toxic dose. Some of its other popular uses when diluted to safer quantities, was also as a hair growth serum which was popular in England for treatment with balding. Although it was found to effectively grow hair, it long term effect uses where far more detrimental. (Taberner,1985) Today research has found that some other common symptoms that Canthradin have also been known to treat include “ irritation of the digestive system causing a bloated stomach, burning diarrhea, pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs),swelling and rash with pus on the hands, erysipelas (infection of lymph ducts), dandruff, shingles (herpes zoster), eye and tongue inflammation and neuralgia (nerve pain)”, however much of this has been disputed for whether these treatments outweigh the safety concerns for the poisonous nature of Canthradin.( Fundukian, 2009)

**Cantharides as an Aphrodisiac for Humans and Animals** Cantharides inherited their reputation as an aphrodisiac from early veterinary practices. In early veterinary science, Cantharides were often given to animals to encourage them to mate since it was believed that the interaction of the Cantharidin in the animal’s system while passing through their intestines and sexual organs to be excreted, would encourage the animals urge to mate. Cantharides where given to animals to ingestion and not through skin contact or biting since the Canthradin which is excreted by the insect’s body, often irritated the skin of the animals when in contact with this skin. Upon ingestion of the beetles, animals would feel the effects of the Canthradin as this substance passed through their intestines and sexual organs to be excreted. This contact would cause the inflammation and irritation of these sexual organs and cause a reaction know as priapism. Priapism, a term that comes from the Greek god Priapus, a Greek god with a long lasting erection, is the erecting of the sexual organs such as the penis or the clitoris for several hours which can often cause discomfort and prompt the need to stimulate or arouse the genitals in order to relieve some of this discomfort. When the genitals of the animals where under priapism, due to the increased flow of blood to their genitals due to the Cantharides, they would experience such genital comfort which would encourage them to mate in order to remove the uncomfortable sensation to their genitals, caused by the Cantharides. Similarly, in humans Cantharides were seen as a sort of love potion that when administered would encourage sex with marital partners, yet little did they know that although Cantharid consumption might result in sex, it was often a response to get rid of the genital discomfort and not as a result of love. Women and men were said to slip small doses in the food of their lovers since it was often undetectable in food. When administered cantharides, when the Cantharid was excreted from the penis or clitoris, it would not only cause irritation and inflammation to these organs, it would cause the uncomfortable inflammation, burning and irritation with any part of the body which it touched such as the mouth, throat and intestines. (Rowland, 2005) They would also experience priapism just as the animals did, in which women would experience the swelling and erection of their clitoris and so would men as the Cantharid would cause the blood flow to their body to become concentrated in their genitals. This would cause and uncomfortable sensation which would not only encourage the arousal and stimulation of these sexual organs to remove the discomfort, it would also cause men to be able to maintain an erect penis for much longer hours. In this way, Cantharides get their reputation as an aphrodisiac and have been compared with such drugs today as Viagra for its erecting effect, yet much dispute has been given to whether they actually are an aphrodisiac since they only stimulate the psychical reaction associated with sex through their biological contact, yet they have no know effect in altering the sexual hormones or the libido to encourage sex. (Northern, 2002) Although the reputation of Cantharides as an aphrodisiac can be disputed, it’s effect as a poison cannot be disputed. It is a widely known fact that the chemical produced in Cantharides is highly toxic and lethal. As small as 3 milligrams or one ten-thousandth of an ounce is unsafe and 32 milligrams is the lethal dose. (Taberner, 1985) In 1953 the British Pharmacopoeia Formulary classified it as a Schedule I Poison, one of the most lethal in levels. Some of the side effects which occur when Cantharides are taken orally is that the a painful burning sensation occurs in the mouth and throat, followed by severe abdominal cramps and then vomiting. Other symptoms also include burning and painful urination, bloody urine, convulsions, delirium and liver failure. Use of Cantharides in homeopathic medication has been heavily disputed and discouraged since it therapeutic doses are too close to their toxic dose. Many cases of accidental poisonings have been related to not only its use as a love potion but also to its medicinal treatment uses. It has been said that in such historical documents as the Annals of Imperial Rome, the Emperor of Tiberius’s mother gave Cantharides to member of the imperial family to encourage them to commit incriminating sexual acts with the spouses of other members within the family. (Columbian Encyclopedia, 2010). Cantharides where given to King Louis XV by a Madame De Pompadour to gain his sexual favor so that he would pursue her. (Richardson, 1973) In 1985, The Federal Food and Drug administration banned the uses of Cantharides as an aphrodisiac in the United States. (New York Times,1985) 1.) Cantharides. (2010). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 2.) Richardson, J. (1973). MADAME DE MONTESPAN AND THE AFFAIR OF THE POISONS. History Today, 23(8), 588-592. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 3.) IRVIN, M. (1985, January 16). U.S. MOVES TO BAN SEXUAL NOSTRUMS. New York Times. p. 11. 4.) Northen, S. (2002). Horny little beetle. Times Educational Supplement, (4484), 4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 5.) Rowland, Belinda. "Cantharis." The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 358-360. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. 6.) Taberner, P. V. (1985). Aphrodisiacs: The Science and the Myth. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P.pg 99-122. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
 * Cantharides as a Poison and Its Health Effects**[[image:pic_poison.png width="192" height="201" align="left" caption="As small as 3 milligrams or one ten-thousandth of an ounce is unsafe and 32 milligrams is the lethal dose. (Taberner, 1985)"]]
 * The Use of Cantharides in History**
 * Sources**