ccxlvii 



Cochin, a man was brought to one of my hospitals with gangrene of 

 the fore-arm, occasioned by a ray-fish having wound its tail around it, 

 and dragged its armed spine through the muscles down to the bones. 

 Accidents from spines of fishes, especially of the siluroid and ray 

 families, are exceedingly common in the East. In both France and 

 Spain, police regulations require that all spines on fish, which inflict 

 injurious wounds, should be removed prior to their beinsr brought to 

 market. In Orissa, the serrated spine at the base of the tail of the 

 ray-fish is believed to cause fatal wounds. Fishermen, invariably remove 

 it, and usually break off the dorsal and pectoral spines from all siluroids. 

 429. Dr. Jerdon (Madras Journal, Literature and Science, 1849) 

 mentioned that wounds from the spiny rays 

 ayS f of the P^acanthus cupanns occasion severe 

 pain for a few hours. But it may be generally 

 considered that injuries from these hard rays of most of the Acanthop- 

 terygian fishes may induce irritation, and even inflammation, lasting for 

 an uncertain time. This irritation may be due to acrid mucus, 

 normally secreted, or rendered irritable, due to excitement in the fish. 

 The severity of the injury will be increased or diminished in accordance 

 with the state of the health of the injured person at the time of the 

 receipt of the injury. 



