TOXINS OF MUSHROOMS 129 



by developing less gelatinous edema but more necrosis and ulcera- 

 tion. Intravenous inoculation was fatal to rabbits, the survival time 

 decreasing from 10 days to 48 hours with doses varying from 1 cc. 

 to 5 cc. The time of survival varied according to the potency of the 

 particular lot of toxin and the individual susceptibility of the rabbit 

 as well as to the volume of dose. 



The post mortem findings were hemorrhages in the lungs, serous 

 or serofibrinous effusion into the peritoneal and pleural cavities, 

 sometimes accumulation of fluid around the kidneys, and a pale or 

 mottled liver. There was extensive damage to the secretory tubules 

 of the kidneys. Some rabbits showed necrotic and fatty changes 

 in the liver. Guinea pigs were more uniformly susceptible to the 

 toxin than rabbits, but lesions were similar. In mice and chicks 

 necrosis of renal tubules was the only pathological change found. 



The toxin is antigenic. Henrici immunized rabbits and demon- 

 strated passive transfer of immunity to guinea pigs and mice. Im- 

 mune serum neutralized the hemolytic action of the toxin in vitro. 



Toxins of Mushrooms. A word or two may be properly interpo- 

 lated here concerning the toxins of the poisonous mushrooms. These 

 vary with different species. It may be worthwhile to emphasize a 

 fact too often ignored by the amateur mycophagist who seeks to 

 supplement his diet by gathering wild mushrooms. There are many 

 poisonous species of mushrooms and these may closely resemble 

 edible forms. Several genera contain both edible and poisonous 

 species. There is no simple rule or characteristic such as excellent 

 flavor, failure to tarnish a silver coin, or an easily peeled cap which 

 distinguishes an edible from an inedible species. The only safe basis 

 for selecting edible species is a thorough acquaintance with the species 

 collected. 



A survey of the mushroom poisons has been presented by Ford.^^ 

 In the case of the fly Amanita (Amanita muscaria) one of the poi- 

 sons is an alkaloid, muscarin. The poisons of the most deadly of the 

 mushrooms, A. phalloides (Fig. 71), have been studied by several 

 investigators. The work of Ford has established that there are two 

 poisonous substances present. One is a hemolytic agent called 

 phallin, the other a general toxin known as amanito-toxin. The 

 former is easily inactivated by heat, the latter is not. Laboratory 

 animals may be immunized with extracts of the fungi, their serums 

 developing both antihemolytic and antitoxic properties. The hemo- 

 lytic substance has been isolated and is said to be a pentose-contain- 

 ing glucoside. It is, however, contrary to the opinion of most im- 

 munologists that a non-protein substance may give rise to antibodies. 



