ccxlvii 



Cochin, a man was brought to one of my hospitals with gangrene of 



the fore-arm, occasioned by a ray-fish having wound its tail around it, 



and dragged its armed spine through the muscles down to the bones. 



Accidents from spines of fishes, especially of the siluroid and ray 



families, are exceedingly common in the East. In both France and 



Spain, police regulations require that all spines on fish, which inflict 



injurious wounds, should be removed prior to their beiner brought to 



market. In Orissa, the serrated spine at the base of the tail of the 



ray-fish is believed to cause fatal wounds. Fishermen invariably remove 



it, and usually break off the dorsal and pectoral spines from all siluroids. 



429. Dr. Jerdon (Madras Journal, Literature and Science, 1849) 



_ , „ mentioned that wounds from the spiny rays 



Wounds from spiny rays of c j-i r> t jt 



fislies> tf j o t the Folyacantkus cupanns occasion severe 



pain for a few hours. But it may be generally 



considered that injuries from these hard rays of most of the Acanlhop- 



terygian. fishes may induce irritation, and even inflammation, lasting for 



an uncertain time. This irritation may be due to acrid mucus, 



normally secreted, or rendered irritable, due to excitement in the fish. 



The severity of the injury will be increased or diminished in accordance 



with the state of the health of the injured person at the time of the 



receipt of the injury. 



