ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 219 



not tarnished, the fish, it is supposed, may be eaten 

 at onqe with perfect safety. But this diagnosis is 

 by no means infallible. 



In this country, it is very seldom indeed that 

 poisoning is occasioned by unwholesome fish, al- 

 though the mussel, and perhaps other shell-fish, 

 when found in certain localities, have frequently 

 caused fatal accidents to such as have eaten of them. 

 Thus, not many years ago, in the town of Leith, 

 upwards of thirty people were seriously affected by 

 eating of some mussels attached to a piece of timber 

 in the docks, and of that number, two died. 



The treatment in cases of fish-poisoning, which 

 appears most successful, is the immediate exhibition 

 of emetics and purgatives, to get rid of as much of 

 the poison as possible, followed up by stimulants, 

 such as ammonia, spirits, or ether, to prevent the 

 excessive debility, or even paralysis of the lower 

 extremities, which shortly comes on. 



With this we may conclude our account of the 

 economical uses of fishes, and, we hope, not without 

 having shown that the finny tribes are not less use- 

 ful to man as food, than interesting to the naturalist 

 from their diversified structure. 



FINIS. 



EDINBURGH : 

 PKINTKD BY W. H. LIZAES, 



