156 PHYrOTOXJX.s AXD ZOOTOXINS 



being highly toxic. '^* The dermal secretions of most of the an?phibians are poison- 

 ous, not only for mammals, but also for reptiles, and in large doses for the animals 

 producing them (Phisalixj."'-' Bert' and also Dutartre- have described a digitalis- 

 like poison in the secretion of the dermal glands of frogs. 



It is evident that all these poisons are quite distinct from the 

 venoms, and from the true toxins, apparenth' being simple chemical 

 compounds not related to the proteins and not capable of causing im- 

 munization. 



Poisonous Fish ^ 



There are numerous fish, especiall}' in tropical waters, which 

 defend themselves by injecting poisons into their enemies. This is ac- 

 complished by spines, to which are attached poison glands.^ Dunbar- 

 Brunton^ has described two such fish {Trachinis draco and Scorpoenn 

 scorpha) of Mediterranean waters. Wounds by these spines cause in 

 animals intense local irritation and edema and paralj'sis of the part, 

 followed by gangrene about the site of the wound; in fatal poisoning 

 death occurs in from one to sixteen hours, with general paralysis. 

 The sufferings of persons so poisoned are said to be extreme, and 

 death may occur either directly from the poison or later from sci:)sis 

 following the local gangrene. Presumabl}' this poison is not dissimilar 

 to that of the snakes; it probably is not an alkaloid, as Dunbar- 

 Brunton suggests. It affects chiefly the heart, according to Pohl," 

 and contains a hemolytic principle which behaves like the venom 

 hemolysins in that it is activated by serum (Evan)." 



Several other fish secrete poison in glands attached to long spines, 

 one of the most poisonous being Synanceia brachio, which is known to 

 have caused fatal intoxication in several instances. Only the Murw- 

 nidce seem capable of poisoning by biting; they have a well-developed 

 poison apparatus on the gums, but nothing is known concerning the 

 poisons they produce. 



Many fish develop poisonous decomposition products remarkably 

 soon after death, especially in tropical climates, so that a fish that is 

 perfectly wholesome if eaten immediately after being caught may 

 be very poisonous if kept but a few hours. There is a decided differ- 

 ence in fish of different varieties in this respect, so that some cannot be 

 safely marketed. Some of the poisonous products of the decomposition 

 of fish seem to be, early products of protein cU^avage, of liigli inoh'cular 



»» Caspari and Loewv, Med. Klinik, 19II (7), 1204. 

 "9 Jour. Phvs. et Path, gen., 1910 (12), 325. 



' Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1885, p. 524. 



2 Ibid., 1890, p. 199. 



^ Full discu.ssion and literature given by Faust, "Tierische Giftc," p. 134. 



* For a list of fLsh with poison glands see Pawlowskv, Zool. Jahrb., 1912 (31), 

 529. 



» Lancet, 189(i (ii), (iOO. 



• Prager med. Woch., 1893 (18), 31. 

 ' British Me<l. Jour. 1907 (i), 73. 



