ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1423 



While in the Turk Islands I questioned many 

 fishermen concerning the fishes that were poi- 

 sonous, the effects of the poison, and at what 

 seasons the fish were most dangerous. Without 

 exception their reports tallied. All agreed that 

 there were two forms of the disease; that the 

 fish from the north side of the Islands were the 

 most dangerous, those from the south side not 

 being so likely to prove poisonous. This seems 

 incredible, as the island of Grand Turk, most 

 densely populated of this group of islands, is 

 only one and a half miles wide by six miles long, 

 and lies in the trade winds and the Bahama cur- 

 rent, which move all surface food at a consid- 

 erable rate to the westward. I consulted Dr. 

 Geogaghan, then the Medical Officer of the 

 Colony, who kindly gave me a description of 

 the symptoms, which he had personally experi- 

 enced in both forms of the disease. 



Dr. Geogaghan said: "To my knowledge the 

 common poisonous fish are barracuda, jack, and 

 mulleto kingfish. In certain places, for some 

 reason or other, the barracuda is more likely to 

 be poisonous than if caught elsewhere. 



"There are two distinct kinds of poisoning 

 from these fishes. The ordinary type is similar 

 to ptomaine, being in the nature of a simple 

 gastroenteritis of an irritative sort. It is char- 

 acterized by acute spasmodic pain in the stom- 

 ach, diarrhoea, and vomiting, coming on from 

 ten to twentj^ hours after eating the fish, and 

 subsiding readily under treatment. There is oc- 

 casionally headache, usually fever (101 to 102 

 degrees F.) and a rapid pulse (90 to 100). Gen- 

 erally speaking, it is an acute gastroenteritis. 



"The other form is in the nature of a tox- 

 emia. I have never seen a case following on 

 the eating of jack, but can not be certain on 

 this point. The symptoms are slow to subside, 

 sometimes lasting for months. It starts from 

 two to six days after eating the fish, very sel- 

 dom less than two, and usually three or four. 

 There is repeated pain of a dull resistant type 

 over the region of the pancreas ; constipation ; 

 slow aching pains in the joints, especially in the 

 knees and back, without any physical signs ; 

 pain behind the eyes and headache, acute irri- 

 tation of the bladder with frequent burning and 

 tickling sensation. 



"The joint pains are called "bone-pains" 

 here, and are similar to the pains of influenza, 

 though more particularly associated with the 

 joints. There is an intense feeling of lassitude 

 and debility, and subnormal temperature. 



"Naturally clinical cases vary in severity. 

 Occasionally the two forms of poisoning are 

 combined, one following the other. I look on 

 the first as a simple irritative disturbance of the 

 intestine which throws off the irritant in the us- 

 ual way. The second is a real poisoning of the 

 system. I have had both myself and it was 

 many months before I was rid of the joint-pains 

 of the second." 



The Turk Island species described herein 

 are also among the principal food fishes of Key 

 West and the Bermudas, excepting the kingfish, 

 which is seldom taken at Bermuda, and poison- 

 ing is unknown in these localities. 



After observing the conditions and the man- 

 ner in which the fish are handled, I have 

 reached the conclusion that the reason they are 

 poisonous in one region and not in another, is 

 that in Bermuda and Key West almost all fish- 

 ing boats have live-wells, and therefore usually 

 bring their fish to market alive, while in the 

 Turk Islands and Bahamas the fish are killed 

 and allowed to remain in the sun until the shore 

 is reached — sometimes five or six hours after 

 they are caught. 



All of the fishes considered poisonous are of 

 soft flesh and rich in gastric juices, and are 

 therefore the most likely to decay quickly; and, 

 when eaten in a partially decayed condition, 

 cause ptomaine poisoning . Naturally some are 

 more poisonous than others. Those caught in 

 the morning are exposed to the sun's rays much 

 longer, and are therefore much more decom- 

 posed. 



The fishes, when examined externally and 

 internally, appeared to be in the finest condi- 

 tion when caught, and I could detect no differ- 

 ence between them and those of Bermuda or 

 Key West. I have seen specimens of Grand 

 Turk Island with the scales standing almost on 

 edge through the decomposing of the flesh, 

 which, forming gases, expanded the fish. These 

 fish are frequently sold from house to house, 

 though caught the day before and in a half pu- 

 trid condition. It is probable that if, when 

 caught, the fish were eviscerated and bled, a 

 case of poisoning would be a rarity. 



An interesting antidote for fish poisoning is 

 used by the natives. When a fish has been eat- 

 en that is suspected to have been poisonous, the 

 bones are saved for twenty-four hours, within 

 which time, if at all, symptoms should appear. 

 On the first indication of trouble, the bones are 

 roasted, pulverized, and made into tea for the 

 patient. Belief in the efiicacy of this treatment 

 is implicit, provided the bones of the right fish 

 have been used. 



