838 THE AGARICACEAE OP MICHIGAN 



mid others agree that its taste is bitter and unpleasant and this 

 factor may save people from serious accident. Occasionally the 

 bitter taste is absent, more is eaten and quick fatality may result. 

 Through the publication 25 of Circular No. 13, U. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture and of Prentiss' account 24 the fatal poisoning of 

 Count de Vecchii in November, 1897, has become classic. He bought 

 from a countryman a quantity of Amanita muscaria, picked in 

 Virginia, seven miles from the capital. The Count was familiar 

 with mushrooms and took these to be the Royal Agaric, Amanita 

 caesarea. At breakfast, which was finished at 8:30, he ate two 

 dozen and pronounced the taste particularly good. Dr. K. ate one 

 dozen. By 9 a. m. the Count Avas lying on his bed in a state of 

 collapse, filled' with a sense of impending death, and soon lost 

 consciousness. Blindness came on before this, as did rigid spasm 

 of the lower jaw, and difficulty in swallowing. Convulsions were 

 so violent as to break down the bed. Emetics were given and 

 apomorphine and atropine subcutaneously. He became continually 

 worse and died without regaining consciousness on the evening of 

 the next day. Dr. K. went by car to his office. While sitting on 

 a chair, about 9 a. m., he gradually passed into unconsciousness 

 without feeling any premonitory pain or distress, though half- 

 stupid and very restless just before. He noted, about 9 :10, uncer- 

 tain eyesight and double vision, without nausea. A prominent 

 early symptom was sudden jerking back of the head. He remained 

 unconscious for five hours; at one time his life was almost despaired 

 of. He did not suffer the least pain but on the contrary was in a 

 comfortable dreamy state. By 7 p. m. he was out of danger. Cold 

 sweats were a prominent symptom. A total of one-tenth grain of 

 atropine was given in 21 hours. Apomorphine produced no eniesis, 

 vomiting not occurring until evening. Castor oil and sweet oil were 

 given about noon. 



THE CLINICAL FEATURES of poisoning by Amanita muscaria 

 are quite as characteristic and distinctive as those in Amanita 

 phalloides intoxication and should enable physicians to distinguish 

 clearly between the two conditions — when either fungus is eaten 

 alone. So often a mixed lot of different varieties is used that 

 the symptoms in patients point to the combined action of different 

 toxic principles. In A. muscaria poisoning there is usually a very 

 short interval between ingestion and first symptoms, one-half to 

 one hour or at most three hours. If small amounts are eaten even 

 live or six hours may elapse. This feature is of greatest value 



