22 Rhodora [FEBRUARY 
History, but depended chiefly on Mr. Julius A. Palmer's Mushrooms 
of America, as especially suited to this region. 
The plant collected at this time agreed perfectly with Plate VII, 
fig. 4, in the last-named work. I had often seen the same plant, but 
am not sure whether I had eaten it; I certainly had never used it 
except in small quantities with other species. In this case it consti- 
tuted the entire collecting; and after being kept over night in a 
refrigerator, away from anything that could affect it, it was broiled, 
and served as the “piece of resistance " of the Sunday breakfast. Of 
the eight at table, three did not eat of it, and experienced nothing 
unusual; three ate sparingly, and had symptoms similar to those I am 
about to relate, but milder, and at no time were in any danger; my 
sister and I ate freely. 
After breakfast, at about half past eight, I took a walk in the woods 
with my two sons, returning about half past ten. Just before reaching 
home, I felt a sense of oppression and a sort of rising in my stomach, 
and soon after had an attack of vomiting, followed in about fifteen 
minutes by another attack, and then others at shortening intervals. I 
found that my sister, who had remained at home, had been attacked 
in the same way, but more severely. The doctor had been called by 
telephone at the beginning of the attack, and had responded promptly, 
but when he arrived she was in a state of collapse from which the 
ordinary remedies failed to rouse her; it was necessary for him to use 
subcutaneous injections of brandy and ether. 
By the time he felt safe for her, I was ready for his attentions. I 
had felt no pain, vertigo, nor headache, and between the attacks I made 
myself useful, getting brandy from a neighbor and procuring other 
things needed ; but the more and more frequent vomiting, and, after a 
while, purging, exhausted me. At last I found I could no longer keep 
on my feet; I looked round to see where that sudden icy wind came 
from, and at the same instant was conscious of a curious narrowing of 
the field of vision; it closed up just the same way as an iris diaphragm, 
leaving a small circular space still available. I was just able to get to 
bed; suffering no real pain, but cold and helpless. My system was, 
however, freed from the noxious substance; a good supply of hot, 
strong coffee warmed me up; I slept quietly, and had no further 
trouble. It was several days before I recovered my usual strength, 
and I found myself instinctively walking carefully, almost on tiptoe, as 
if there were something delicate inside of me that would break if 
