MYTILUS. 169 



retain both Mytilus and Modiola. As a general rule, the 

 species of the former genus are littoral, those of the latter 

 inhabitants of moderately deep water. Mytili are found in 

 all seas, and range, though obscurely, far back in time. 



In all countries the species of this genus are sought after 

 for food, and accounted among the most savoury of shell-fish. 

 They are eaten either raw, boiled or roasted. Every now 

 and then some unfortunate Mytilophagist is first, and the 

 newspaper-reading public afterwards, thrown into convul- 

 sions through some deleterious quality which neither boil- 

 ing nor roasting can dissipate. The person aflfected is said 

 to be musseled., and exhibits all the symptoms of poisoning. 

 Chemistry and anatomy have alike failed in detecting a 

 cause ; and neither the season of the year, nor the mode of 

 cooking, nor the freshness or staleness of the shell- fish, — to 

 all which supposed causes the symptoms have been attri- 

 buted — prove on close inquiry to have any connection with 

 the results. The subject has been investigated by Dr. 

 Burrows,* who states that commonly " the local effects 

 have been trifling, and the prominent symptoms have been 

 almost entirely indirect, and chiefly nervous." Sometimes 

 an eruptive disease, resembling nettle-rash, and accompanied 

 with violent asthma comes on ; sometimes a comatose or 

 paralytic disorder, numbness about the mouth, gradually 

 extending to the arms, with great debility of the limbs, 

 difficulty of swallowing and speaking. Fatal cases have 

 generally exhibited epileptic symptoms or delirium, con- 

 vulsions, and coma. Emetics rapid in their action, have 

 been of use in treatment ; eether relieves the difiiculty of 

 breathing and the other nervous symptoms, and Epsom salts, 

 acidulated with dilute sulphuric acid, in small and frequent 

 doses, removes the nettle-rash. 



* London Medical Repository, vol. iii. p. 445. 

 VOL. II. Z 



