﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  21 
  

  

  dried 
  artificially. 
  The 
  juice 
  of 
  the 
  whortleberry 
  in 
  

   which 
  this 
  substance 
  has 
  been 
  steeped, 
  acquires 
  thereby 
  

   the 
  intoxicating 
  properties 
  of 
  strong 
  wine. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  using 
  this 
  singular 
  production 
  is 
  to 
  

   roll 
  it 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  bolus, 
  and 
  swallow 
  it 
  whole. 
  

   A 
  day's 
  intoxication 
  may 
  be 
  procured 
  at 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  

   one 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  these 
  fungi, 
  and 
  this 
  intoxication 
  is 
  

   affirmed 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  only 
  cheap, 
  but 
  remarkably 
  pleasant. 
  

   The 
  result 
  follows 
  within 
  an 
  hour 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  participation. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  effects 
  produced 
  by 
  this 
  fungus 
  resemble 
  

   those 
  resulting 
  from 
  intoxicating 
  liquors 
  ; 
  others 
  are 
  

   similar 
  to 
  the 
  accompaniments 
  of 
  an 
  indulgence 
  in 
  

   " 
  haschisch." 
  At 
  first 
  it 
  generally 
  produces 
  cheer- 
  

   fulness, 
  afterwards 
  giddiness 
  and 
  drunkenness, 
  ending 
  

   occasionally 
  in 
  the 
  entire 
  loss 
  of 
  consciousness. 
  The 
  

   natural 
  inclinations 
  of 
  the 
  individual 
  become 
  stimu- 
  

   lated. 
  The 
  dancer 
  executes 
  a 
  pas 
  d 
  'extravagance, 
  

   the 
  musician 
  indulges 
  in 
  a 
  song, 
  the 
  chatterer 
  divulges 
  

   all 
  his 
  secrets, 
  the 
  orator 
  delivers 
  himself 
  of 
  a 
  philippic, 
  

   and 
  the 
  mimic 
  indulges 
  in 
  caricature. 
  Erroneous 
  im- 
  

   pressions 
  of 
  size 
  and 
  distance 
  are 
  common 
  occurrences 
  : 
  

   a 
  straw 
  lying 
  in 
  the 
  road 
  becomes 
  a 
  formidable 
  object, 
  

   to 
  overcome 
  which 
  a 
  leap 
  is 
  taken 
  sufficient 
  to 
  clear 
  a 
  

   barrel 
  of 
  ale, 
  or 
  the 
  prostrate 
  trunk 
  of 
  a 
  British 
  oak. 
  

   But 
  this 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  only 
  extraordinary 
  circumstance 
  

   connected 
  therewith. 
  The 
  property 
  is 
  imparted 
  to 
  the 
  

   fluid 
  excretion 
  of 
  rendering 
  it 
  intoxicating, 
  which 
  pro- 
  

   perty 
  it 
  retains 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  time. 
  A 
  man, 
  having 
  

   been 
  intoxicated 
  on 
  one 
  day, 
  and 
  slept 
  himself 
  sober 
  by 
  

   the 
  next, 
  will, 
  by 
  drinking 
  this 
  liquor 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  

  

  