S40 THE AGARICACEAE OF MICHIGAN 



and morphine, later work has shown that it is probably a complex 

 ammonia derivative. Muscarin is an extremely active substance, 

 well known from the attention it has received in all works on 

 toxicology and materia medica and therapeutics. In the latter 

 field it can well be spared on account of its variability and unre- 

 liability and because we have better drugs of similar action. 

 Muscarin is near pilocarpin and nicotine in action, exciting smooth 

 muscle and stimulating all glands. At almost every point in its 

 action it is the direct antagonist of atropine (from belladonna) 

 but is far less powerful. It is present in the fungus in but small 

 amounts but is nevertheless able to exert its characteristic effects, 

 frequently with fatal outcome. In producing paralysis of heart and 

 respiration it does so by stimulating the inhibitory nerve endings 

 of the vagus. Atropin has a depressing action upon the same nerves 

 which muscarin stimulates. The muscarin excitement, remarkably, 

 does not pass over into a paraylsis, its curare action (that of arrow- 

 poison) being slight. Muscarin has been synthetically prepared 

 by the oxidation of cholin but does not keep as well as the natural 

 product, and differs materially in its action upon animals. 18 A 

 ptomaine muscarin is also known. 



But poisoning by Amanita muscaria and muscarin poisoning are 

 by no means identical (Harmssen 26 ). Robert says the fly-agaric ) 

 drunk (Fliegenschwamm Rausch) is by no means a pure muscarin 

 "jag" but resembles haschisch (Cannabis i>i<li<<n. Harmsen found 

 that he could extract from 100 g. of fresh muscaria 1G nig. of a 

 fairly pure muscarin. This was twice as deadly to cats as to frogs. 

 That it is not the sole factor in poisoning is shown from the follow- 

 ing: (1) with the lethal dose of muscarin at 0.525 g., it would 

 require 4 kg. (8.8 lbs.) of the fresh fly-fungus to produce a fatal 

 outcome 26 ; (2) when the action of the muscarin-part of an entire 

 extract is physiologically neutralized by atropin, the animals never- 

 theless die; (3) the extract is deadly even when the muscarin is 

 removed. He has also shown 26a that the entire extracts of A. 

 muscaria are twice as toxic, weight for weight, as pure muscarin 

 and contain a poison which produces in animals continued convul- 

 sions with fatal outcome, not prevented by atropin. He therefore 

 assumes the presence of at least one other substance which he names 

 "Pilz-toxin." This pilz-toxin must be very unstable since it loses 

 potency on drying, and is sensitive to heat (thermolabile). It does 

 not appear in the urine. (Compare. intoxication of the Koraks.) His 

 work casts doubt over the value of atropin as an antidote and 

 is in accord with clinical experience. In 1910 Ford 22 said Amanita 



