CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGY OF MUSHROOMS. "297 



by the use of atropine. Its use as thus demonstrated has been the 

 means of saving numerous lives. We have in this alkaloid an almost 

 perfect physiological antidote for muscarine, and therefore in such 

 cases of poisoning its use should be pushed as heroically as the symp- 

 toms of the case will warrant. The presence of phallin in Amanita 

 muscaria is possible, and its symptoms should be looked for in the 

 red color of the blood serum discharged from the intestines. 



Phallin. The exact chemical nature of this extremely toxic sub- 

 stance is not certainly known, but it is generally conceded to be of 

 an albuminous nature. That it is an extremely deadly poison is shown 

 by the fact that .0015 grain per 2 Ibs. weight of the animal is a fatal 

 dose for cats and dogs. It is the active principle of the most deadly of 

 all mushrooms, the Amanita phalloides, or death-cup fungus. We quote 

 again from Mr. Chestnut's account of phallin and its treatment : 

 " The fundamental injury is not due, as in the case of muscarine, to 

 a paralysis of the nerves controlling the action of the heart, but to a 

 direct effect on the blood corpuscles. These are quickly dissolved 

 by phallin, the blood serum escaping from the blood vessels into the 

 alimentary canal, and the whole system being rapidly drained of its 

 vitality. No bad taste warns the victim, nor do the preliminary 

 symptoms begin until nine to fourteen hours after the poisonous 

 mushrooms are eaten. There is then considerable abdominal pain and 

 there may be cramps in the legs and other nervous phenomena, such 

 as convulsions, and even lockjaw or other kinds of tetanic spasms. 

 The pulse is weak, the abdominal pain is rapidly followed by nausea, 

 vomiting, and extreme diarrhoea, the intestinal discharges assuming 

 the "rice-water' condition characteristic of cholera. The latter 

 symptoms are persistently maintained, generally without loss of con- 

 sciousness, until death ensues, which happens in from two to four 

 days. There is no known antidote by which the effects of phallin 

 can be counteracted. The undigested material, if not already vom- 

 ited, should, however, be removed from the stomach and intestines 

 by methods similar to those given for cases of poisoning by Amanita 

 muscaria. 



" After that the remainder of the poison, if the amount of phallin 

 already taken up by the system is not too large, may wear itself out on 

 the blood and the patient may recover. It is suggested that this 

 wearing-out process may be assisted by transfusing into the veins 

 blood freshly taken from some warm-blooded animal. The depletion 

 of the blood serum might be remedied by similar transfusions of salt 

 and warm water." 



Helvellic Acid. This very deadly poison is sometimes found in 



