EFFECTS OF THE STING. 11 



tressing during the time it remained. The 

 continuance of the pain was very severe for 

 nearly half an hour, after which it gradually 

 abated, but the after effects were felt during the 

 remainder of the day in a slight degree of numb- 

 ness and increased temperature of the arm. 



About two hours after I had been stung, I 

 perceived that a vesicle had arisen on the spot ; 

 and when children have been stung, I observed 

 that numerous small vesicles arose, similar to 

 those produced by the nettle. The intensity of 

 the effects produced depends on the size and con- 

 sequent power of the animal ; and after it has 

 been for some time removed from the water, it 

 is found that the stinging property has dimi- 

 nished. This irritative property, unattended, 

 however, by any of the constitutional effects, 

 remains for a long time in the tentaculee, even 

 after they have been removed from the animal ; 

 for on touching a handkerchief some weeks after 

 it had been used in wiping off some portions of 

 the tentaculse, the stinging property was found to 

 have remained, although it had lost that virulent 

 quality, which produced on a recent application 

 such violent constitutional irritation. 



This irritative secretion does not, however, 

 exist solely in this species of mollusca ; several 

 of the medusce have similar properties, which 



