96 TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 



weever," etc. These fish are provided with a double 

 set of poisonous apparatus, the one opercular, 

 which is the more dangerous, and the other dorsal. 

 The opercular spine has a double channel in con- 

 nection with a conical cavity hollowed out in the 

 base of the opercular bone. The bottom of this 

 cavity is provided with special cells which secrete the 

 poison. The dorsal glands have a similar structure. 



The poison of the weever is a liquid, limpid when 

 the fish is alive, and turbid when dead; it has 

 a slight bluish fluorescence, is neutral in reaction, 

 and is coagulated by acids and bases. It acts as a 

 paralyzant, its action being exerted on the medulla 

 and spinal cord; it retards the heart's action. 



These examples will suffice; and we will not 

 dilate further on this subject, because, as already 

 stated, but little is accurately known regarding 

 the subject, and what is known may be summed 

 up as follows: Fish-poisons always give rise to an 

 intense pain, frequently with motor paralysis, fol- 

 lowed by paralysis of sensation; they affect the 

 heart, arresting it in diastole; and they are more 

 dangerous to fish and cold-blooded animals than 

 to mammifers. 



Poisons of the Hymenoptera.*- -The poison sys- 

 tem of the bee, and of such insects as the wasps, 

 bumblebees, etc., is known to consist of a hollow 



* PHILOUZE: Venin dcs Abeilles. Annales de la Societe Linn, 

 du Maine-et-Loire, iv. 



