Water Boatman
Historical document, translated for reference.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 water boatman (Notonecta glauca), an aquatic predatory insect whose toxic bite causes acute pain, erythema, and hemorrhages in humans.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
WATER BOATMAN, Notonecta glauca, backswimmer, an insect of the order Rhynchota, family Notonectidae. It lives primarily in stagnant water and swims rapidly on its back. The water boatman is a predator that attacks small aquatic inhabitants and young fish. It has a piercing mouth apparatus connected to salivary glands that secrete a toxic fluid. The sting of the water boatman is very painful for humans; however, not all people are equally sensitive to the action of its poisonous saliva. A droplet of blood appears at the site of the sting, erythema develops, and hemorrhages later appear. The sensation of pain lasts 15-20 minutes.
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Cite this page
“Water Boatman.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/water-boatman/