THE POISON OF EELS* BLOOD (ICHTHYOTOXINE). 239 



tion of a mixture of the poison with the serum of an animal 

 already immune. 



The serum contains a specific antitoxine, which, however, does 

 not invariably afford protection against the local effects. 



Certain other fishes also appear to contain poisons of the nature 

 of toxines, which have not yet been investigated, such as, e.g., 

 the lamprey (Petromyzon), Scorpcena, Pterois, Serranus, Plotosus, 

 tiynanceia, &c. (KoBERT 1 ). 



Further investigation is required to determine whether the 

 poisoning in these cases is due to true toxines. 



In the case of certain other poisonous fish e.g., the Japanese 

 species of Tetrodon (fugu) poisonous protamines appear to play 

 the chief part. It does not come within the scope of this book 

 to give further details of fish poisons in general. 2 



The Poison of Eels' Blood (Ichthyotoxine). 



An exceptional position is occupied by the poisonous sub- 

 stance which occurs in the serum of the eel and certain allied 

 fish (Murcena, Conger). By its occurrence as a normal product 

 of animal life it is related, on the one hand, to the snake venoms, 

 which are also found in the blood of poisonous snakes ; while, on 

 the other hand, in its hsemolytic function it recalls the agglutin- 

 ating toxines of the vegetable kingdom ; and yet again shows a 

 certain relationship, as regards this property, with the hsemo- 

 lysines of the normal sera of different animals, which, according 

 to EHRLICH, are also not simple "alexines," but receptors of the 

 second class provided with amboceptor and complement. 



In what group, therefore, ichthyotoxine should eventually be 

 placed cannot be decided off-hand. It is convenient, however, 

 for reasons apart from its internal constitution, to describe it 

 provisionally after the other zootoxines. 



A similar poison appears to be produced in the poison glands 

 of the muraena, but little is known about it. 3 



The toxicity of eels' blood was discovered by A. Mosso, 4 who 

 also studied its toxic effects. He found that the blood of poisoned 

 animals lost its power of coagulating, and this was confirmed by 



1 Robert, "Ueber Giftfischeu. Fischgifte.Vortrag i. Rostocker Fischerei- 

 verein," Die Med. Woche, 1902. 



2 Further details are also given by Vaughan and Novy, loc. cit., 188, 

 et seq. 



3 Anatomical and toxicological data are given by Robert, loc. cit. 



4 A. Mosso, "Die giftige Wirkung des Serums der Mureniden," Arch, 

 f. Exper. Path., xxv., Ill, 1889. 



