1934 

 Report of an Investigation of Poisonous Fishes within the Jurisdiction 

 of the Saipcm Branch of the Go'vemment-General 



Foreword 



I was recently ordered by the South Seas GoveimTnent-General to undertake 

 a study of about one month's duration of the poisonous fi^es within the area 

 under the juxisdiction of the Saipan Branch of the Government-General, I was 

 not competent to undertake such a task, and of course it hardly need be said 

 that it was Impossible to settle such a great problem by an investigation 

 covering such a limited period of time, however, I did as I was ordered without 

 considering my lack of qualifications. 



On September 17, 193/ ? I sailed from Yokohama for Saipan, and I returned 

 to Tokyo on October H of the eama year. About two weeks passed between the 

 A*ecoipt of my ordora and my departuro and during that tiir.3 I endeavored to as- 

 semble reference material concerning the investigation, but all I could find 

 was the "Report of a Study of the Poisonous Fishes of Jaluit" by Dr. Ryuichi 

 Hatsuo of the South Seas Government-General's Clinic, Perhaps it may be said 

 that there T?as no other literature on the subject, 



My investigations were mainly centered at Saipan for the reason that at 

 Tinian and Rota the facilitioa for such a study were lacking. The period of 

 the investigation was during the rainy season and day after day there were in- 

 numerable rain squalls,, The sea was rough and the collection of materials and 

 other phases of the work did not go as expected. That I was consequently un- 

 able to execute fully the task assigned to me is a matter for deep regret. 



I hope that it will be understood at the start that in the preparation of 

 this manuscript it w£s unavoidable that many parts of it should be incomplete 

 and iffiperfectc. If I am fortunate enough to be granted the opportunity I would 

 like to make up for these shortcomings in a later study, 



March, 1935 

 Tokyo Imperial University 

 Contagious Disease ?le search Institute 

 Department of Immunology 



Takashi Tasukawa 



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