118 THE NAUTILUS. 



eminent Medical Officer's Report, Levuka, for the month of June, 

 1901 : 



" I had under observation the case of a European lady here who 

 was the subject of a severe form of poisoning by a shell-fish of the 

 species of which a shell is now sent for identification. 



" The lady was fishing not far from the shore in the evening, 

 with her family and native servant in the boat. The shell-fish hav- 

 ing been obtained, the boy cracked it to extract the meat, which 

 was large in quantity for the size of the shell, and having cracked 

 the shell, handed it to his mistress with the meat hanging from its 

 internal attachment. To free the flesh she inserted her little finger 

 towards the upper end, and, she declares, felt it shoot out a sharp- 

 pointed thing which penetrated her finger and caused such a peculiar 

 sensation that she at once called out that she was bitten and poisoned. 



" The poisonous matter is said to be the yellow pulpy matter at 

 the thicker end of the shell ; it might of course be merely repro- 

 ductive OE digestive tissue, or again there might well be a modifica- 

 tion of some secretory gland to form a protective poison gland, and 

 in the latter case, nature would surely provide along with poison, 

 some mechanical means to promote injection into the enemy. 2 



" The point of puncture in this case was minute and only to be seen 

 with great care ; indeed, that it was a puncture was much less readily 

 seen than the local effect of the poison which caused a bluish dis- 

 coloration of the surrounding tissues. It was situated at the point 

 of the patient's little finger near the side of the nail. Through so 

 small a puncture, and in so short a time as was allowed to its inser- 

 tion (she did not unfortunately suck the wound), but a most minute 

 quantity of the poison could have entered the circulation, yet the 

 effects were most grave. Locally a numbness was first experienced. 

 This extended rapidly up the arm, which became paralysed and the 

 paralysis spread thence rapidly throughout the body. It was peculiar 

 that not only was general muscular control abolished, even so far 

 that the head had to be supported over the trunk in order that 

 unimpeded breathing might be allowed to continue ; but there was a 

 loss also in a lesser degree (as I think) of sensation, with numbness 



1 The wound was doubtless inflicted by the radula, of which the teeth are 

 well known to be provided with ducts communicating with a poison-secreting 

 gland. ED. 



