166 M.A. Duméril on Venomous Fishes. 
acute agony, drawing cries from the patients. These sensations 
were so lasting that the sailors, when already in a satisfactory 
state and restored to their avocations, experienced them still, 
though in a modified degree. Later these gave place to a sin- 
gular diminution of the sensibility : the impression produced by 
the resistance of the ground and the physical qualities of ob- 
jects held in the hand were very imperfect, and repeated appli- 
cation of both touch and pressure became necessary to render 
them complete.” Thus, as M. Gasquet remarks, the poison- — 
principle had produced a sort of sideration of the nervous sys- 
tem. Perfect sensibility of touch did not return for a month after. 
The urticary symptom extends also to the surface of the 
buccal mucous membrane. There are often pains in the limbs, 
and particularly at the articulations, where a considerable swell- 
ing is sometimes apparent. 
When the case is not destined to prove fatal, a few vomitings 
will clear the digestive organs, whence Epsom salts will cause the 
ejection of various matters in a liquid form and commonly of 
a fetid odour. On the other hand, existence is generally 
seriously compromised when very frequent evacuations, at- 
tended by tenesmus and violent pains in the entrails and in- 
voluntary emission of urine, take place. Nevertheless these 
symptoms are not always precursors of death, even when they 
have been very intense during several hours. The condition 
of convulsion is a very troublesome complication; and during 
its continuance life may perhaps be arrested suddenly and ra- 
pidly; or, on the contrary, as in the remarkable case which 
I have alluded to, in which thirty-four out of forty-two men 
perished, it is during a profound insensibility, a sort of coma, 
that the victim succumbs. 
In the number of these phenomena which have been observed 
we may range that mentioned by Thomas as experienced by 
himself. Under the noxious influence of the flesh of the 
Rock-fish (Serranus rupestris) he became completely yellow, as 
in jaundice—his urine, as also the liquid result of transpiration, 
assuming the same tint. In one or two patients, whom he 
mentions, the tegumentary surface presented a similar change 
of colour. . : 
When convalescence takes place, it is accompanied by a de- 
squamation of the skin (the epidermis of which is detached), 
and often also by a falling off of the hair both of the head and 
other parts of the body, and even of the nails. Further, it is 
in all cases effected but slowly, as the constitution receives a 
very severe shock, the effects of which are felt for years, and 
disappear only by degrees. It is necessary to remove to a cold 
climate, according to Thomas, who himself had recourse to this 
