15 



Phalliu bjis some of the properties of the toxalbiiiiiiii of ])()is()iious 

 spiders, and is !i vegetable toxulbumii). 



It has been remarked that in cases of poisoning by A. phallokles, the 

 mushroom has tasted very good, and those poisoned felt well for several 

 hours after eating. 



Phalloides poisoning is said to bear a marked resemblance to phosphorus 

 poisoning and to acute jaundice. There is no known antidote to the 

 poisonous alkaloid phallhi. 



According to Prof. Roberts analyses, the i)roportiou of phalliu in the 

 dried mushroom amounts to less than 1%, but its efi'ect on account of its 

 concentration is the more intensive. 



Extensive experiments made by Robert with ox blood in regard to the 

 comparative action of difterent substances in their power of dissolving 

 the red blood corpuscles demonstrate that /^AaW^ji in this respect exceeds 

 all known substances. Robert states that " li. phallhi be added to a mix- 

 ture of blood with a \% solution of common salt, using the blood of man, 

 cattle, dogs, or pigeons, the blood corpuscles will be entirely dissolved by 

 the poison diluted to 1-125,000." 



Prof. Robert states that he has examined the species Boletus edulis, 

 Agaricus campester, and Amanita Caesarea a number of times, but could 

 never detect the action of phallin in them. Neither has he found it in A. 

 muscaria. 



The Poisonous Alkaloid of Gyromitka esculenta Fries (Helvella escu- 



LENTA PerS.). 



Helvellic Acid. 



Prof. Robert writes of a number of cases of poisoning in the Baltic 

 provinces of Russia by the mushroom Helvella esculenta Persoon, some- 

 times called the Lorchel. It should be here stated that the Helvella 

 esculenta of Persoon is the Gyrondtra esculenta of Fries. This mush- 

 room is described as edible and placed in the edible lists by Dr. M. C. 

 Cooke, Prof. Peck, and other distinguished mycologists, who have tested 

 it and found it edible when perfectly fresh. 



The poisonous principle of this mushroom was isolated and ana- 

 lyzed by Prof. R. Boehm, of Russia, in 1885. It was by him designated 

 as " helvellic acid^' and found to be soluble in hot water. Profs. Eugene 

 Bostroem and E. Ponfick, after giving some study to the eftects of this 

 mushroom poison, agreed in their report concerning it, which is to the 

 efi'ect that the qitickly dried H. esculenta (Gyromitra esculenta) is not 

 poisonous, and that the poisonous acid of the fresh ones may be extracted 

 by means of hot water, so that while the decoction is poisonous the 

 mushroom is not at all so, after the liquid is pressed out. Experiments 

 with this mushroom were made by both authors on dogs, which ate them 

 greedily, but without exception the dogs were very sick afterwards. The 



