140 
sponge  Gathering. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
February,  1920. 
Benzylalcohol. — Injections  into  the  thoracic  region  of  the 
spinal  cord  are  followed  by  a  severe  fall  in  blood  pressure  and  de- 
creased respiratory  movements.  It  also  produces  spinal  anesthesia. 
(Voegtlin  and  Livingston,  /.  Pharm.  Exp.  Therap.,  13:  513,  1919.) 
J.  F.  C. 
SPONGE  GATHERING  IN  TUNISIAN  WATERS.^ 
By  Consul  Harris  N.  Cookingham, 
tunis,  nov.  ii,  1919. 
Although  the  Greek  divers  have  abandoned  the  sponge  fisheries 
of  the  Tunisian  coast  for  those  of  Tripolitan  waters,  unexploited 
since  the  Turko-Italian  War,  where,  it  is  reported,  unexcelled  sponges 
have  recently  been  taken  (for  the  English  market,  which  is  paying 
almost  80  francs  a  kilo  for  the  best  specimens) ,  the  sponge  beds  along 
the  Regency's  coast  are  bringing  no  small  profit  to  the  Sicilian 
dragnets  and  harpoonists  now  plying  in  the  Gulf  of  Gabes  and  around 
the  Kerkenna  Islands.  Sfax,  the  chief  port  of  southern  Tunisia, 
is  naturally  the  trade  center  of  the  industry,  the  sponge  market  of 
Tunisia  whence  domestic  and  export  prices  are  regulated.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  for  the  fine  sponges  which  the  Kerkenna 
fishers  obtain  the  Sfax  prices  are  from  32  francs  per  kilo  (2  . 2  pounds) ; 
sponges  from  the  Gulf  of  Gabes,  of  ordinary  quality,  bring  27  francs 
a  kilo  (formerly  from  12  to  14  francs).  The  harpoonists  are  bring- 
ing in  good  sponges,  poorly  dried  and  cleaned,  which  are  sold  at 
32  francs  a  kilo  in  Sfax.  There  the  extremely  fine  Kerkenna  sponges 
are  expected  within  a  fortnight,  for  sale,  it  is  already  announced, 
at  about  50  francs  a  kilo;  these  are  sold  without  any  preparation 
whatever  to  buyers,  who  themselves  clean  the  delicate  tissues. 
1  From  Commerce  Reports,  December  31,  19 19. 
