Paralysis and Petrification (was: Re: Why Can't Hagrid Do Magic?)

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 43963

Eloise wrote:
> > Grey Wolf has pointed out that spiders (some, at least) do paralyze
> their prey. This is true, although I think Dumbledore, in all his
> wisdom and experience, would have recognized the difference between
> that and petrification. Don't ask me how. I don't know how he
> diagnosed petrification in the first place. >
> 
> > Eloise
> 
> bboy_mn - more general comments:
> Petrified implies a stone-like state. Paralysis is more likely to be
> a limp state. Although, there may be some venom that could induce
> rigid muscles, I doubt that it would be the extreme petrified/
> stone-like state that we are seeing with the Basilisk.
> 
> bboy_mn

Petrified means incapable of moving the body. It is generally accepted 
that the body is stiff, but it doesn't necesarily mean so. However, 
even if it does mean that the body's muscles are tensed up, this sort 
of effect *can* be produced by certain spiders. I've checked with two 
doctors on this (they were handy. I'm not *that* obsessed), and they 
both agree that some spiders do, in some cases, the stiff form of 
paralysis called "tetanus" or rigid, in those cases in which there is 
motor cortex damage. Although they're not common (most spider venoms's 
effects tend towards death by necrosis of the tissues instead of any 
form of paralysis), they're not unheard of. In fact, a quick search in 
google will give you a several examples of either case.

And the fact is that the MoM didn't investigate at all, or the lack of 
injection orifices in the victims would ave proven obvious that the 
paralysis weren't the result of an injected venom. Hagrid had a spider, 
people were being paralysed, thus Hagrid's spider was responsible. QED, 
in the most typical form of MoM justice.

Finally, don't be so quick to disregard the power of the venom of a two 
to five foot spider (that must have been the size of Aragog at the 
time). An spider that size would have no difficulty to kill, and it 
could paralyse indefinetely too, by carefully moderating the amount of 
venom she injects. And a grave damage to the neurons and to specific 
regions of the brain (regions that are comonly targeted by venoms) can 
cause inmediate stiffening of the muscles, which could very well be 
described as petrification.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf