The death-cup is a species not so abun dant in the vicinity of Washington, yet of rather frequent occurrence in rich oak-woods. At Takoma Park it occurs in abundance. F. V. Coville (Circular No. 13, Division of Botany, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 'PS).
Both the species of poisonous mush rooms described have, as noted by Mr.
Coville, white gills and white spores, while all the edible gill-bearing species herein described, except Coprinus comalus, have gills of some other color. In Coprinus comatus the spores at maturity are black. Several species of mushrooms having both white gills and white spores being edible, however, Mr. Coville urges that a beginner should not pick them, as he might easily mistake an amanita for them.
A high color, a scaly or spotted sur face, and tough or watery flesh are alkaloid—that present in Amanita mus caria—are mainly of cerebral origin. After a period varying from half an hour to fifteen hours, giddiness is experienced, and nausea, with salivation, vomiting, cramps, diarrhwa, dimness of vision, and dyspncea follow in quick succession. The stools sometimes contain fragments of the fungus. The patient appears drunk and excited, then drowsy. These symp toms are usually the precursors of con vulsions, and are preceded by anuria. Cardiac action is weakened, and the usually associated with poisonous prop erties. Toxic fungi, moreover, grow clus tered on wet or shady ground, the edible, singly, in dry pastures.
Fungi which have a bitter or styptic taste, or which burn the fauces, as well as those which yield a pungent milk, those of livid color, and those which on being bruised assume various hues, ought to be avoided. It should be remembered, also, that all plants of this class readily undergo decomposition, and should there fore be eaten as fresh as possible. Edi torial (Lancet, May 30, '91).
Symptoms of Muscarine Poisoning.— The symptoms of poisoning from this pulse is slow and thread-like. The pupils, at first contracted, become di lated as death approaches. The reflexes are, in part or quite, abolished, and cold sweats appear. Respiration gradually becomes more difficult and stertorous and the pulse finally becomes imperceptible, and death occurs either in coma or in the midst of a convulsion.
In favorable cases the stupor is not of long duration, the respiration and pulse are more active, and all the symp toms mentioned gradually disappear. In unfavorable cases the symptoms may progress rapidly or slowly, some cases dying a few hours after the first festation, others lasting two or three days.
Six cases of poisoning by the Agaricus musearius. The six cases all occurred in one family and three were fatal. The mushrooms were eaten at about six in the evening. The first symptoms ap peared in all the eases during the fore noon of the following day, and took the form of vomiting and diarrhoea. In most of the cases these symptoms were slight. All felt dull and stupid on awakening, and there was a feeling of dyspncea which led them to seek the fresh air. One pa tient, a child, died during the evening of this day with convulsions. The two others who died (also children) showed no serious symptoms until the morning of the second clay. At this time there was mental dullness, increasing to stupor, rapid, empty pulse; contracted pupils, irresponsive to light; rapid respiration, suppression of urine, and free perspira tion.
One died on the first, one on the sec ond, and one on the third day after the poisonous oionous meal. The fatal dose in all of these eases was but a small one—in two eases but'/_ of a medium-sized mush room, and in the third ease but '/,. The members of the family who escaped ate as much or more of the mushrooms, and it is supposed that there were but one or two poisonous fungi in the dish; that those who died ate these, while the others ate good mushrooms that were rendered somewhat poisonous by being cooked to gether with the bad. G. E. Caglieri (Med. Rec., Aug. 2S, '97).
In case of rapid recovery the stupor is short and usually marked with mild de lirium. In fatal cases the stupor con tinues from one to two or three days and death at last ,ensues from the gradual weakening and final stoppage of the heart's action. V. K. Chestnut (Circ. No. 13, Division of Botany, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, '9S).