44 Rhodora [MARCH 
good many years. Since, however, in most cases of poisoning it is 
difficult to obtain accurate records of the circumstances under which 
the poisoning occurred, the following detailed account, for which I am 
indebted to Prof. G. F. Moore of Andover, Mass., is worth placing on 
record. 
In October, 1897, Dr. C. C. Torrey gathered some fine specimens of 
Agaricus illudens, growing on the campus of the Theological Seminary 
at Andover. The fungi, which were prepared by Mrs. Moore, were fried 
with a little butter, and eaten at lunch by four persons, viz., Mrs. X., 
æt. about sixty, Mrs. Moore, Dr. Torrey and Albert Moore, the latter a 
boy, fourteen years old. The two latter each ate three or four of the 
fungi; Mrs. Moore two or three, while Mrs. X. only ate a piece as 
large as a quarter of a dollar. All pronounced the fungus to be of ex- 
cellent flavor. About an hour after eating, symptoms of discomfort 
were noticed by Mrs. Moore, but as she is subject to indigestion they 
were not associated with the fungus eaten. The two ladies went out 
to drive, Dr. Torrey to play tennis and Albert Moore to school. About 
three o'clock, that is something less than two hours after the meal, all 
were taken with free and vigorous vomiting, which continued at in- 
tervals through the afternoon. The nausea was not accompanied by 
burning sensations in the stomach or any other symptoms of poison- 
ing; there was no depression and no disturbance of the bowels at the 
time or subsequently. In short the fungus acted as a simple but very 
effective emetic. In the evening the nausea passed off and the next 
day all were as well as usual, except Mrs. X., who, being something of 
an invalid, still suffered the nervous consequences of the experiment. 
Besides the four persons mentioned there were present at the lunch 
Professor Moore and a niece, neither of whom partook of the fungi, 
and neither of whom experienced any of the symptoms from which 
the others suffered, thus furnishing what may be called a control 
experiment. 
The only treatment employed was an emetic of mustard and salt- 
water, which the more heroic male members of the quartet took on 
general principles, followed by a little whiskey. Professor Moore re- 
marks that the remedies used probably had little effect since the 
Agaricus illudens itself took care that the emesis should be thorough 
and that the whiskey should not stay down. 
Last September, I received from Mr. Walter Brem of Morganton, 
N. C., a specimen of Agaricus ¿lludens with a letter asking whether it 
