a Species of West-Indian Fish. 47 



and thereby communicated to the neighbouring fleshy 

 parts, the power of producing such alarming effects 



as occurred in the case of Mrs. M k. It is more 



than probable, that had inquiry been made, it would 

 have been found, that the fish of which she ate, had 

 not been cleansed for some time after it was caught. 



From the foregoing relation, it may seem advisea- 

 ble also, to avoid eating the belly-part of suspicious 

 fishes, even when they have been cleansed very soon 

 after they have been taken. 



The facts related by Kzempfer, Dr. Forster, and 

 other respectable writers, who have given us accounts 

 of the deleterious properties of different species of 

 fish (particularly of Tetrodon and Sparus) are well 

 known : but these facts lose a portion of their value, 

 in consequence of the silence of the relators relative 

 to the state of the fish for some hours before they were 

 dressed and eaten. Perhaps, navigators, in distant 

 seas, where fresh provisions are so grateful to them, 

 and even so necessary to their health, by attending 

 to the precaution which I have pointed out, may eat, 

 with entire impunity, those very species offish, which, 

 without such precaution, would produce all those dis- 

 tressing, and sometimes mortal, effects, which were 

 experienced by the crew of one of Captain Cook's 

 ships, during his second voyage round the world ; 

 and which are often experienced in the West-Indies. 



The well-ascertained facts relative to the poisonous 

 quality of certain species of lish, may serve to re- 



