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MUSHROOM POISONING<br />
poison of the Amanita. It is recommended that the stomachs of three rabbits<br />
and the brains of seven be chopped up finely and made into a paste or pellets<br />
and eaten raw by the patient. Sugar or jam can be added to make it more<br />
palatable, and the sugar itself may be beneficial. This method has received<br />
some pubhcity in the press but it is difficult to know whether or not it is really<br />
effective.<br />
The second type of poisoning is caused by species such as Amanita muscaria<br />
and A. pantherina and is believed to be due to a substance called mycoatropine.<br />
The symptoms usually appear soon after eating the mushrooms,<br />
within one-half to four hours. The most characteristic symptoms are nervous<br />
excitement, hallucinations and behavior suggesting alcohohc intoxication.<br />
This may be followed by coma and sometimes death, although the percentage<br />
of recovery from this type of poisoning is much greater than with the A. phal-<br />
loides type. A. pantherina is considered to be more dangerous than A. muscaria.<br />
Treatment consists in the administration of emetics and purgatives to<br />
clean out the digestive tract and then in treating the delirium with chloral<br />
hydrate or potassium bromide and providing a heart stimulant.<br />
The third type of poisoning is due to the substance called muscarine and is<br />
caused by some Inocybe species and Clitocybe dealbata. Amanita muscaria also<br />
contains muscarine but its main effects are now befieved to be due to mycoa-<br />
tropine. The symptoms of muscarine poisoning are profuse sweating, vomiting,<br />
diarrhea, pains in the stomach, distortion of vision and slowing down of the<br />
heart. Death rarely occurs in this type of poisoning and if it does it is due to the<br />
effect on the heart. Atropine is an antidote for muscarine poisoning.<br />
A fourth type of poisoning may be caused by Entoloma lividum and a few<br />
other species. It is a violent gastrointestinal disturbance usually occurring<br />
within one to two hours after the mushrooms have been eaten. The symptoms<br />
include vomiting, diarrhea, acute pain and profuse perspiration. The symptoms<br />
may persist for a long time and make the patient very weak. Not much<br />
appears to be known about the poison involved.<br />
The fifth type of poisoning is caused by some of the acrid species of<br />
Russula and Lactarius. It has the effect of a very violent purgative and causes<br />
vomiting and stomach pains. It is claimed that the poisonous substances can be<br />
removed from these mushrooms by boiling them in several changes of water,<br />
but these species are not recommended as food.<br />
The sixth type is the poisoning caused by some Discomycetes and beheved<br />
to be due to helvellic acid. The most important fungus in this group is Gyro-<br />
mitra esculenta and reports about this fungus are very contradictory. There<br />
seems to be no doubt that many people eat this species frequently, apparently<br />
without any harm. On the other hand there are well-authenticated cases of<br />
poisoning and even of deaths caused by it. It would appear that the danger is<br />
greatest with overmature or sHghtly decomposed specimens, but danger cer-<br />
tainly exists and on no account can this fungus be recommended as food.<br />
Finally there is a peculiar type of poisoning that has been said to be<br />
associated with Coprinus species eaten at the same time that alcohol has been<br />
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