356 DR. EVANS OX THE POISOXED SPIKES OF THE WEEVER FISH. 
There has been comparatively little written by Englishmen 
on this subject, and those who would read an interesting 
account of fish with poison organs will find the whole subject, 
treated historically and descriptively by Dr. Bottard in 
a book published in 1889 entitled, ‘ Les Poisons Venimeux.’ 
It is important to bear in mind that the Weever fish is 
not poisonous, although it has a poison organ, that is to say 
that the fish is both perfectly good to eat and also has an 
excellent flavour, yet it has the power of inflicting dangerous 
wounds by certain spines on its dorsal fin and on either gill 
cover or operculum. 
The following account of the symptoms of a Weever sting 
is quoted by Bottard : — “ I have been pricked several times 
by Trachinus viper a, and I am able to give an exact account 
of the various phenomena, the result of such an injury. 
The symptoms are almost always the same. They differ 
only according to the depth of the puncture and the site of 
the wound ; also according to the time of the year and the 
nature of the spine, whether it be dorsal or opercular. 
“ In the month of October, 1885, I was pricked fairly deep, 
in the middle of the palmar aspect of the right thumb. The 
pain was similar to that of a burn. At the end of only a few 
seconds all the other fingers as well as that pricked had become 
immovable and were painfully numb. In two or three 
minutes the numbness had reached the forearm. The numb- 
ness seemed to follow the course of the nerves. The joints 
were particularly tender. At the end of from five to seven 
minutes the poison made itself felt on the heart, as shown by 
somewhat severe palpitation. I then felt cold and shivered. 
The wounded hand all this time was very painful and tender 
to the least touch. I was unable to dress it until three 
quarters of an hour after the accident, when it was impossible 
to move the arm and I was unable to undress myself alone. 
Three days after, the surrounding parts were still very painful 
and the tissues were swollen.” 
Gressin describes the symptoms as follows : — One 
experiences at first a very acute pain, lancinating and paralys- 
ing, often among nervous persons associated with fainting. 
