Buthidae
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
This 1930s encyclopedia article describes the scorpion family Buthidae, found in the Caucasus and Central Asia, including species like Buthus caucasicus and Buthus occitanus. It details their desert and mountainous habitats, their tendency to sting when disturbed, and notes that while their venomous stings are painful, they are not fatal to humans.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
BUTHIDAE, a family of scorpions (Caucasus and Central Asia): Buthus caucasicus, B. occitanus, B. crassicauda, and other species live in dry, treeless spaces, in clay and sandy deserts, under stones, in hollows and cracks of the earth, and in mud walls. In the mountains, they are found at altitudes up to 2.5–3 thousand meters above sea level. They sometimes crawl into houses. They sting humans if crushed on the body or picked up by hand. There are no data on the degree of toxicity of Russian scorpion species. The sting of Buthidae is not fatal to humans (see Scorpions, Poisonous animals).
Related articles
Cite this page
“Buthidae.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/buthidae/