The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1862-10-16
TIE MEDUSA, OR sEA-NErTLE.

There arc curious sea animals, or rep
tiles, sometimes found on the shores o
England, called Medusa, which are to b,
avoided by batLerS as carefully as if cac!
animal were mass of angry wa>ps and
they cannt safely be approached within
a considerable distance. Inde d. it is to
put sea- ,bathcrs on their guard that this
article Is written, with sincere hone
that none of It's readers may meet with
the i'll fate of its author. If the bathcr
or shore wandrrer should happen to see,
either tossing on the waves, or thrown
upon the beach, loose, roundish mass
Of tawny membranes and fbres, some.
thing like very large hapdful of lions
manc and silver paper, let him beware Of
the object, and, sacrificing curiosity to
discretion, give it as wide a berth as pos
sibc. For this is the fearful stinccr,
scientifically called Cyun,u copiNotn, the
most plentiful and most rcdoub,able of
our venomous Mcdusa. My first intro
duct'on to this creature was very disas-
trous one, though could hut reflect af
terward that it might have been more so
1t took place as follows:
One mUrning toward the end 0f June.
while swimming off the Marga,e coast,
saw at distance something that looked
like a patch Of sand occasionally visible,
and occasionally covered, as it were, b.
the waves, which were then running high
in consequence Of heightened gale
which had not long gone down. Know
ing the coast pretty well, and thinking
that no saLd ought to be in such local
ity. | swan towards the strange object,
and had got within some eight or ten
yards Of it before finding that it was COM
posed Of animal substance | naturally
thought that it must be the refuse Of
some animal that had been thrown over
board, and swan away f-om it, not being
anxious to come in contact with so un-
pleasant a substance.
While still approaching it, had no
ticed a slight tingling in the toes of the
left foot, but as | Invariably sutier from
cramp in those regions while swimming,
| took the "pins and needless sensation
for symptom of the accustomed cramp,
and thought nothing of it. AS swan
on, however, the tin Cling extended fur
ther and further, and began to feel very
much like the sting of an old nettle. -
Suddenly, the truth flashed across me,
and | made for shore as fast as | could
On turning round for that purpose,
raised my ri s'It arm out of the water, and
found that dozens of transparent and
slender threads were hanging from it,
aud evidently attached to the Mcdusa,
now some forty or fifty feet away. The
Glaments were slight and delicate as those
of a spiders web, but there the simili-
tude ceased, for each was armed with a
myriad of poisoned darts that wor ked
their way to the tissues, and affected the
nervous system like the stings of wasps.
Before reached the shore the pain
had become fearfulIy severe, and on
quitting the cool waves it was absolute
torture. Wherever one Of the multtu-
dinous threads had come in contact with
the ska was light scarlet line, which,
on closer examination, was resolvab!e in
to minute dots or postules, and the sen,
sation was much as if each dot were
charged with rcdhot needle, gradually
making its way through the nerves. The
slightest touch of the clothes was agony,
and as | had to walk more than two miles
before reaching my lodgings, the suffer
ings endured may be better imagined
than described Severe, however, as
was this pain, it was the least part of the
torture inflicted by these apparently in
significant weapons. Both the respira
tion and the action of the heart became
affected, while at short intervals sharp
pangs shot through the chest, as if a
bullet had passed through heart and
lungs, causing me 10 stagger as if struck
by lcaden missile. Then the pulsation
Of the heart would cease for time that
seemed an age, aud then it would give
six or seven leaps as if it would force its
way through the chest. Then the lungs
would refuse to act, aud | stood gaspin 2
in vain for breath, as if the arm of a
garotter were round my neck Then the
sharp pang would shoot through the
chest, aud SO da capo.
After journey lasting, SO far as my
feelings went, about two years, got to
my lodgings, and instinctively sought
for the salad oil flask. As always hap
pens under such circumstances, it was
empty, aud / had to wait while another
could be purchased A copious friction
with tho oil had sensible effect in alle-
r;..;,, tho sufferino ihouph when 7