THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 315 



and unsigned. His story, entitled " A Legend of Polecat 

 Hollow," which originally appeared in The Continent, 

 has been re-published in England in book-form, where it 

 has had a large sale. He excels as a writer of humorous 

 and dialectical poems, and as a writer of short stories he has 

 had excellent success. 



Since 1881 Captain Mcllvaine has indefatigably devoted 

 himself to determining, by experiments upon himself, 

 which of the many hundred varieties of toadstools are 

 suitable for food, which are not, and which of the latter 

 either contain matter injurious to the human system, 

 minor poisons, or poisons deadly in effect. He has thus 

 tested nearly five hundred species. The most important 

 of Captain Mcllvaine's discoveries is to be found in an 

 article entitled, " Amanitin and its Antidote," published 

 in The Medical and Surgical Reporter, December 12 and 19, 

 1885, and afterward embodied in an article " The Deadly 

 and Minor Poisons of Toadstools," in The Therapeutic 

 Gazette, May 15, 1803, which was re-printed in pamphlet 

 form. These articles clearly demonstrate that atropin is 

 the antidote to the terrible, deadly poison of the Amanitee. 

 He has in course of preparation an important book, 

 entitled : " Eight hundred American Fungi, Mushrooms, 

 Toadstools." In it 750 edible forms are described, and 

 sixty poisonous or suspected plants. Recipes for cooking 

 the edible ones are also to be added. The value of Captain 

 Mcllvaine's work, in a field in a which he stands pre-emi- 

 nently alone, lies in the correction of the many existing 

 fallacies relating to toadstools ; the segregation of edible 

 species from those which are harmful, and the confirmation 

 of by far the greater number of varieties as wholesome, 

 palatable, plentiful food. 





