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involved in cone-shell stings, two of which are quoted below. Dr. 

 H. Flecker, in The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. I, 1936, reports 

 that— 



C. H. G. [Charles H. Garbutt], a male, aged 27 years, whilst on a pleasure 

 cruise lauded at Haymen Island on June 27, 1935, and picked up a live cone 

 shell (since identified by Mr. H. A, Longman, of the Queensland Museum, as 

 Conus geographus) . According to an eye-witness, it was gripped in the palm 

 of one hand, with the open side downwards in contact with the skin, whilst 

 with the other he proceeded to scrape with a knife, the epidermis, that is, a 

 thin cuticle covering the hard part of the shell. It was during this operation that 



Figure 2. — The needlelike tooth with which the venomous cone shell stings its 

 prey. The top row shows the harpoon-shaped heads of the teeth of five venomous 

 species. Left to right, Conus textile, striatus, geographus, marmoreus, and 

 tulipa. Magnified 50 times. 



he was stung in the palm of the hand. Just a small puncture mark was 

 visible. Dr. Clouston did not see the patient until just before death, but 

 following details were obtained by him from the patient's mother, who was 

 present with him. Local symptoms of slight numbness started almost at once. 

 There was no pain at any time. Ten minutes afterwards there was a feeling 

 of stiffness about the lips. At 20 minutes the sight became blurred, with 

 diplopia; at 30 minutes the legs were paralysed; and at GO minutes uncon- 

 sciousness appeared and deepened into coma. 



No effect was noted upon the skin, lymphatic, alimentary or genito-urinary 

 systems. Just before death, the pulse became weak and rapid, with slow, 

 shallow respiration. Death took place 5 hours after tlie patient was stung. 



A post mortem examination showed that all the organs, heart, lungs, et cetera, 

 were quite healthy. Mr. J. B. Henderson, Government analyst, reports that 

 no poison was found in the stomach contents. The victim was prior to the injury 

 in perfect physical condition and in training for football. 



In the other species of cone shells, the reports show that considerable 

 pain accompanies the sting. Andrew Garrett, a famous shell collector 

 of the latter half of the nineteenth century, reported that he was stimg 

 by a Conus tulipa "causing sharp pain not unlike the sting of a wasp." 



