[TARANTULISM] VALLETTA Ludovico (18th cent.). De phalangio apulo opusculum in quo pleraque historice, pleraque philosophice de hoc insecto, ejusque miro veneno enarrantur, ac discutiuntur. Naples: De Bonis, 1706. A unique work by the Celestine monk Ludovico Vallata describing the Apulian tarantula and the effects of its bite. In southern Italy, it was believed that the bite of this spider caused tarantulism, a form of hysteria; here the monk conducts a field study around the Tavoliere in an attempt to meet those affected by this type of hysteria and prove the correlation. 12mo, (149 x 79 mm). vignette to title-page, initials, head-pieces and tail-pieces, illustration to f. a4 depicting a tarantula (slightly browned and with some spotting). Contemporary vellum binding, manuscript title to spine, speckled edges (light wear). Provenance: cancelled signature to endpaper. (1)