PLECTOaNATHEANS. 411 



don, little as there is of it, is in like manner reported 'dan- 

 gerous ;' and another species, the diodon atinga, unless 

 the gall be first removed, is, according to Pison, equally 

 unsafe ; the symptoms induced in this case are ' blunted 

 sensibility, stiffened limbs, a palsied tongue, rapid pro- 

 stration of the vital powers, colliquative sweats and 

 death/ The tetraodons seem as unsafe for food as the 

 diodons. The T. lineatus of the Nile is held by the 

 Egyptians as very poisonous, and sedulously avoided in 

 consequence. Another species, however, near akin, the 

 furube of Japan, though equally dangerous, is found to 

 be too delicate to resist. According to Osbeck, this poi- 

 soner will cause death in two hours after he has been 

 swallowed. An imperial decree expressly forbids the 

 Japanese soldiers to eat furube, and enforces this pro- 

 hibition by making an express provision that no son 

 may replace his father who has been slain by eating this 

 fish : notwithstanding, however, the frequency of sinis- 

 tres, the furube is in high repute amongst epicures, and 

 sells at a much higher price than any other fish.'* The 

 ancients were well acquainted with, and have left us many 



* We do not know whether it is usual with, these gourmets to 

 adopt the precautions had recourse to by the lovers of good cheer 

 in the West Indies, previous to eating a fish they call thebaraoouda. 

 A friend of our own, who nearly lost his life at a marriage party 

 with several other guests, co-partakers of the fish, gave us the 

 particulars of their common seizure, which occurred very shortly 

 after the conclusion of the repast, and was in its character very 

 similar to that described by Dr. Meunier from eating the balistes. 

 In the end, after full vomiting, they all recovered, under the ad- 

 ministration of enormous doses of laudanum. On mentioning 

 the circumstance to a West Indian, he informed us that the acci- 

 dent must have proceeded from culpable neglect on the part of 

 the host, who, before introducing such a fish to his guests, should 

 {knowing how dangerous it was) have first given the head to 

 one of his Negroes to dine upon, which, having taken efiect on 

 him, would efiectuaUy have prevented all that followed. He in- 



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