42 
INJURIOUS MARINE ANIMAL. 
filament — being first everted — is projected outwards, batbed 
■with the fluid contents of the cell which has enclosed it. and 
adheres to the object that has occasioned its activity. 
A professional friend, the veteran Dr. George Dennett, of 
Sydney, furnishes the following graphic account of the effects 
due to contact with Physalia, which, as it supports my contention, 
may now be profitably introduced. “ Having captured,” he 
writes (“ Wanderings/’ vol. i., page Ih London, 1H34 ), ‘‘ a very 
fine specimen of this animal — namely, the Portuguese Man*of- 
War, on a former voyage, and being aware of the pungent pro- 
perty residing in the tentacubu, L was desirous of trying its 
effects on myself, for the purpose of ascertaining from i^ersonal 
experience ihe constitutional irritative effects resulting from it. 
On taking hold of the animal it raided its tentacuhe, and stung 
me on the second and ring fingers. The sensation was similar 
at first to that produced by the nettle : but before a few minutes 
had elapsed, a violent acliing pain succeeded, affecting more 
severely the joints of the fingers, the stinging sensation at the 
same time continuing at the part first touched by the acrid fiuicl. 
On cold water being applied, with the intention of vemoviu" or 
lessening the pain, it was found ratlier to increase than diminish 
the effects. The irritation resulting from the poisonous fluid 
emitted by the animal extended upwards, increasing in extent 
and severity (apparently acting along the course of the nerves) 
and in the space of a quarter of an hour the effect in the forearm 
(more particularly felt at the inner part) was very violent, au,l 
at the elbow jonit still more so. It may be worthy of remark 
affected the pain always-increased, 
o 1 t le Xct r T uiuch heightened 
also much accelerated ami a^u niat u/l l^t f f,/'" T 
whole surface. The pain extendm^to He ! / felt over its 
on the pectoral muscle becoming attacked hv' the slnirpamful 
muscle, and it proved very distressh attacks that 
remained. The continuance ' of the'^Uin™®^ 
nearly half-an-liour after which it //i i'/® 
after effects were felt /I/!!,!* gfadually abated, but tin 
ffui-ing the remainder of the ’day in 
