128 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV.. 



All " Ptomain " poisons are characterised by the combination of marked 

 nervous symptoms, with gastro-intestinal irritation, and a tendency to coma, 

 in which the patient may die. There is also almost always a more or 

 less prolonged period between the ingestion of the food and the onset of 

 the symptoms, " the incubation period " ; when this is present, the cause of 

 the poisoning, according to Van Ermengen, is due to the presence of a 

 special organism, Bacillus hotulinus, this condition being known as Botu- 

 tism. David describes an interesting instance of poisoning by red herrings. 

 There were five cases, all in one family. Gastric symptoms and obstinate 

 constipation commencing some days after taking the food, occurred in all, 

 followed by local paralysis of parts, double vision, and diminished reflexes. 

 In two the dysphagia was so complete that feeding by a tube had to be 

 resorted to. The paraplegic symptoms lasted for months, but all finally 

 recovered. 



Breiger isolated an alkaloid named Mytelotoxin, which is not destroyed 

 by cooking, from the liver of mussels taken from foul water ; this produces 

 acute symptoms like those of " curare" poisoning, affecting the motor nerves, 

 being quite distinct from those toxins which induce the gastro-intestinal 

 irritation symptoms. 



The treatment of all cases of Ptomain poisoning is to clear the stomach 

 and intestines of the irritating substances as soon as possible, to give stimu- 

 lants with discretion to counteract the cardiac depression, and where there 

 is profuse diarrhoea and much pain opiates will be required ; for the subse- 

 quent paralysis, massage and nerve tonics. " Tinned fish " are very liable 

 quickly to undergo putrefactive changes, especially in hot climates ; if then 

 eaten, they produce severe symptoms, diarrhoea, vomiting, and collapse in a 

 few hours, which may last for days or prove fatal. 



In tropical climates, where the intestine is so ready under slight provo- 

 cation to increased secretion, congestion, or ulceration, one cannot be too 

 careful in the scrutiny of all tinned fish to be used for food ; it is from these 

 that on board ship fish poisoning most commonly arises. 



(3) The conveyance of specific pathogenic micro-organisms to man, by means of 

 oysters, mussels, etc., unquestionably takes place, perhaps more often than 

 is generally believed. 



The spread of typhoid has been distinctly traced to infected shell-fish, 

 and reported accordingly by many medical officers of health and others. It 

 is not uncommon in certain well-known localities to find oyster beds on the 

 foreshore, immediately below the outfall of a sewer, and I have had it stated 

 to me by a " grower " that in these positions the oysters are fatter and better 

 in quality than those from more open situations. 



Bacteriological examinations have been made demonstrating the presence 

 of B. enteritidis and B. colecommunis, etc. 



Legislative measures for removing this evil have been over and over again 

 brought forward, but so far ineffectually, the interference with the oyster 



