ON ACEPHALA. 397 
August, that the asteriz spawn, which explains sufficiently a 
vulgar opinion, that mussels are poisonous only during the 
months into the name of which an 7 does not enter. This 
spawn is so poisonous, so caustic, that, according to M. de 
Beunie, it immediately causes swelling and inflammation, 
with insupportable itching in the hand of the person who 
touches it, and stiffens this part to such a degree, that it 
appears ready to fall into a gangrene. But this accident is 
followed by no evil consequences, especially if the part be 
rubbed with vinegar. 
It is not merely to man and quadrupeds that this spawn is 
deleterious, it is also hurtful to some fishes, and among others, 
to sturgeon, salmon, &c. ‘The little star-fish themselves are 
equally poisonous, according to the experiments of M. de 
Beunie. Several of these animals, raw, were wrapped up in 
meat, and given to dogs and cats; these animals either died 
in consequence, or were seriously ill, except when they were 
made to swallow a quantity of vinegar, or when the star-fish 
were cooked. ; 
From all these considerations, M. de Beunie thinks that 
the mussels owe their injurious quality to the spawn of the 
asteriz, which is very abundant during the months of May, 
June, July, and August, on the mussel-banks which are on 
the coasts of Flanders, and, in fact, it was at this period 
alone, that he witnessed the malady in question, especially at 
Antwerp, where it appears more frequent, since every person 
there, even down to infants of three years old, eats raw mussels. 
He thinks, indeed, that cooking will remove this dangerous 
property of these mollusca, which, however, unhappily, does 
not appear to be the fact; at least M. Durondeau, a physician 
of the same country, relates that he has seen this malady 
constantly produced at Brussels by feeding on these animals. 
He even cites examples of it in the months of April and 
September, and in fact, in all the rest of the year; so that the 
a 
