VENOM, ELECTRICITY, LIGHT, AND SOUND 143 



and perforated at either end like the venomous fang of a snake. 

 The base of the spine is embedded in the centre of the poison 

 gland, and the secretion is discharged through the hollow spine. 



The virulence of the poison seems to vary greatly in the 

 different fishes or even among individuals of the same species. 

 The Sting Ray [Trygon) is particularly venomous, and many 

 are the stories told of painful and e\'en fatal wounds caused 

 by the tail-spines of these fishes. It has been recorded that an 

 Italian youth became extremely pale and fell down almost 

 senseless for a few minutes from having received a very small 

 puncture when handling a Sting Ray. Dr. Schomburgk 

 mentions a fresh-water species of British Guiana, which was 

 responsible for the death in violent convulsions of a colonist, 

 whilst the two natives who accompanied him were wounded in 

 the feet, became seriously ill, and only recovered the use of their 

 feet after a long period of suffering. Another author gives a 

 vivid account of how a large Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatis) 

 which he was handling drove its "sting" two inches or more 

 into his thigh. He suffered exquisite agonies, but, having a 

 syringe handy, he injected a strong solution of formalin into 

 the wound: the effect was magical, the pain stopped at once, 

 and the wound rapidly healed. The poison of the Spiny 

 Dog-fish {Squalus), although not quite so potent, is nevertheless 

 capable of causing intense pain and discomfort. Dr. Evans 

 describes the pain as being as severe as that from a Weever, 

 but of a duller and more numbing character, and he cites 

 cases of fishermen who were incapacitated for several days 

 from a wound in the hand. Large quantities of these Dog-fishes 

 are landed by tra^vlers and find a ready sale, but the two dorsal 

 fins with their offending spines are invariably cut off soon after 

 the fish is caught. 



The venom of the Weevers {Trachinus) is particularly virulent, 

 and a person who has had the misfortune to step on one of 

 these fishes when bathing will not forget his experience in a 

 hurry. On being "stung," the first symptom is an acute pain 

 of a burning, stabbing character, which, if untreated, will last 

 for several hours or even throughout the day; it is a common 

 belief among fishermen that the pain will not subside until the 

 next tide. So acute is the agony that men have been known 

 to attempt to throw themselves overboard in their distress. 

 Among other symptoms which have been noticed is a tendency 

 to fainting, palpitations, fever, delirium, bilious vomiting, and 

 so on, and in extreme cases heart failure may ensue. The 



