THE VENOMS. 101 







a singular fact that, for a given species, the toxicity 

 frequently depends upon the period of the year. 

 Thus, at the period of spawning, certain fish may 

 be extremely poisonous, or, on the contrary, may 

 entirely cease to be so. The anchovy ballassa 

 from the shores of India occasions death even in 

 very small quantity; the poisonous meltite of the 

 same seas causes violent vomiting; the fugu of 

 the Japanese seas possesses an extreme poison- 

 ousness at the spawning period, while, on the con- 

 trary, it is perfectly innocuous at all other periods. 



Numerous cases of poisoning have been chronicled 

 every year by the journals, due to the i.ngestion 

 of mussels; in the flesh of these crustaceae is found 

 a dangerous toxin, meihylotoxin. The flesh of 

 oysters is also unwholesome at the spawning period. 



The toxic symptoms caused by these animals 

 become apparent in not less than twenty-four 

 hours after ingestion. The poisoning due to these 

 fresh meats must not, however, be confounded 

 with that caused by tainted or spoiled meats. 



