90 Papers from the Department of Marine Biology. 



the point, and tally in so many points with the reports quoted above, 

 that it will help clear up the matter to quote him in full. He writes: 



"While in the Turk's Islands I questioned many fishermen concerning the 

 fishes that were poisonous, the effects of the poison, and at what seasons the 

 fish were most dangerous. Without exception their reports tallied. All 

 agreed that there were two forms of the disease ; that the fish from the north 

 side of the Islands were the most dangerous, those from the south side not 

 being so likely to prove poisonous. This seems incredible, as the island of 

 Grand Turk, most densely populated of this group of islands, is only 1.5 miles 

 wide by 6 miles long, and lies in the trade winds and the Bahama Current, 

 which move all surface food at a considerable rate to the westward. I con- 

 sulted Dr. Geogaghan, then the medical officer of the colony, who kindlj^ 

 gave me a description of the symptoms, which he had personally experienced 

 in both forms of the disease. Dr. Geogaghan said : 



'"To my knowledge the common poisonous fish are barracuda, jack, and 

 muletto kingfish. In certain places, for some reason or other, the barracuda 

 is more likely to be poisonous than if caught elsewhere. There are two 

 distinct kinds of poisoning from these fishes. The ordinary type is similar 

 to ptomaine, being in the nature of a simple gastro-enteritis of an irritative 

 sort. It is characterized by acute spasmodic pain in the stomach, diarrhea, 

 and vomiting, coming on from 10 to 20 hours after eating the fish, and sub- 

 siding readily under treatment. There is occasionallv headache, usuallj^ 

 fever (101° to 102° F.) and a rapid pulse (90 to 100). ^Generally speaking, 

 it is an acute gastro-enteritis. 



" 'The other form is in the nature of a toxemia. I have never seen a case 

 following on the eating of jack, but can not be certain on this point. The 

 symptoms are slow to subside, sometimes lasting for months. It starts 

 from 2 to 6 days after eating the fish, very seldom less than 2, and usuallj^ 

 3 or 4. There is repeated pain of a dull resistant type over the region of the 

 pancreas; constipation; slow aching pains in the joints, especially in the knees 

 and back, without any physical signs; pain behind the eyes and headache, 

 acute irritation of the bladder with frequent burning and tickling sensation. 



" 'The joint pains are called "bone-pains" here, and are similar to the pains 

 of influenza, though more particularly associated with the joints. There is 

 an intense feeling of lassitude and debility, and subnormal temperature. 



" 'Naturally cnnica cases vary in severity. Occasionally the two forms of 

 poisoning are combined, one following the other. I look on the first as a simple 

 irritative disturbance of the intestine which throws off the irritant in the usual 

 way. The second is a real poisoning of the system. I have had both myself 

 and it was many months before I was rid of the joint-pains of the second.' 



"The Turk Island species described herein are also among the principal 

 food-fishes of Kej'' West and the Bermudas, excepting the idngfish, which is 

 seldom taken at Bermuda, and poisoning is unknown in these localities. 



"After observing the conditions and the manner in which the fish are han- 

 dled, I have reached the conclusion that the reason they are poisonous in one 

 region and not in another, is that in Bermuda and Key West a'most all 

 fishing boats have live-wells, and therefore usually bring their fish to market 

 alive, while in the Tm-k Islands and Bahamas the fish are killed and allowed 

 to remain in the sun until the shore is reached — sometimes 5 or 6 hours after 

 they are caught. 



"All of the fishes considered poisonous are of soft flesh and rich in gastric 

 juices, and are therefore the most likely to decay quickly; and, when eaten 

 in a partially decayed condition cause ptomaine poisoning. Naturally some 



