1886.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 299 



line will hold the largest fish taken on the coast. It was found, 

 however, that a single filament would not sustain more than 

 four and a half pounds. Dr. Causland, in charge of the Hospital 

 in the English Presbyterian Mission at Swatow, had successfully 

 used these filaments for tying arteries in surgical operations. 

 It was suggested that the cocoon-spinning lepidoptera of the 

 United States might furnish in their silk-glands, for the joining 

 of wounds, a thread which would have all the virtues of spun 

 silk, without its objectionable traits. Silk-worms have been 

 successfully reared in the neighborhood of Swatow, on lettuce, 

 the silk from such caterpillars being coarser than that from 

 those fed on mulberry leaves. 



August It. 

 Mr. Charles Morris in the chair. 

 Twelve persons present. 



On the Effect of Scorpion Stings. The following communica- 

 tion was read from Mr. Edw. H. Thompson, United States Consul 

 at Merida, Province of Yucatan : 



" I am advised of an interesting letter from Dr. Gonzalez, of 

 Durango, read by Dr. Leidy before the Academy, in which men- 

 tion was made of the extremely venomous character of the 

 Mexican Scorpion. 



" I would state that while many cases of scorpion stings have 

 occurred within the range of my personal observation, I have yet 

 to record one that has even approached a fatal termination. 

 During the month of January last, while exploring some of the 

 ruined cities of the interior, two of my men, native Mayas, were 

 stung by scorpions dislodged from the ruined walls, one receiving 

 a sting upon his shoulder, while the other was punctured directly 

 upon his naked back, and very close to the spine. 



" The man receiving the sting upon his shoulder was soon 

 relieved by a few applications of strong ammonia. The other 

 complained for some time of a numbness almost approaching 

 paralysis. This feeling, however, was not sufficient to prevent 

 him from keeping upon his horse. After I had applied the 

 ammonia, and when at the end of a hard day's ride we dismounted, 

 he had practically recovered. 



" Of thirteen cases noted by me within a short while, but two 

 were of a serious nature. One was the case of my native boy, 

 and the other was that of a young Englishman who, stung upon 

 the thumb, remained in an almost paralyzed state for several 

 hours, eventually recovering. It may be well to state, in relation 



