44 MOLLUSCA. 
“The town,” says Dr. Combe, “was in a ferment, and 
the magistrates 
with great propri- 
ety issued a warn- 
ing against the use 
of the mussels. 
; Many deaths were 
pi, veported, and hun- 
dreds of indivi- 
duals were stated 
to be suffermg 
under the effects 
vy of the poison. 
# Luckily, matters 
were not so de- 
plorable; but we 
ascertained that in 
addition to the 
man mentioned 
before, the com- 
panion of our pa- 
tient, an elderly woman, had died. In all about 
thirty cases occurred, with great uniformity of 
symptoms, but varying very much in severity; 
but none, so far as I know, have left any permanent 
bad effects.’”’* 7 
The cause of this occasional liability to become 
poisonous seems involved in almost total obscurity. 
Dr. Johnston, who discusses at some length the 
many loose and vague conjectures that have been 
hazarded on the subject, has shown, that not one of 
them is tenable, unless it be that in some cases the 
poisonous principle proceeds from some particular 
food which, not fatal to the Mollusks, yet gene- 
* Edin. Med. and Surg. Journal, xxix. p. 88. 
MUSSELS, 
