100 ON THE MEDICINAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL 



under liis own observation, of its bad effects, wliicli, happily, 

 yielded to opium. Crypt. Eng. ii. 152. 



Sowerby says that the B. hovinus (Brown Boletus of Sow. 175) 

 is a favorite food with the llussians and Poles, who have many 

 ways of pickling and cooking it, and that he had got some from 

 thence pickled and highly spiced. Wade's PI. Rariores, 178. 



Roques says that the B. pemiciosios exhales a strong nauseous 

 odor, analogous to that of sulphur, and that it contains a very 

 deletei'ious resinous principle. By experiments made upon ani- 

 mals, Poques states that they reject a cake in which this deleterious 

 fungus is mixed, even in small quantities. Cats and dogs suffer 

 from vomiting, diarrhoea, and, sometimes, convulsive movements. 

 A cat, which had taken near an ounce, died in twenty-four hours ; 

 the intestines being inflamed, and marked by brownish-colored 

 spots. Food with which this plant was mixed, given by Drs. 

 Pouget and Pecharmant to another dog, produced suffering which 

 lasted for some time, accompanied by a refusal of all kinds of 

 nourishment. Tliis animal seems endued with the power of over- 

 coming the activity of these poisons ; even the false orange and 

 the bulbous agaric failing to produce a decided effect upon him. 



A young surgeon eat two mushrooms seasoned with oil, the 

 one being the ordinary Boletus edulis^ with portions of the 

 poisonous species. Some time after the re25ast, he felt intense 

 heat in the throat and epigastric region, with vomiting, cough, 

 and spasm, attended with much weakness. Being called to his 

 assistance, Poques found the pulse hard and jerking, the skin 

 burning, and the belly tumid and painful. He took a large 

 quantity of sugar and water, and vomited a portion of the undi- 

 gested mushroom. Opiiun was given in large quantity. 



M. Roques recommends very highly the use of opium for the 

 relief of pain following the use of the poisonous fungi, and to 

 prevent the spread of inflammation. 



Roques quotes from Prof delle Chiage a case of a gentleman 

 and his servant, who had eaten of these mushrooms, mixed M-ith 

 salad. The former fell down in a state of stupor, and liis whole 

 body was covered with pustulous eruptions. The use of acidulous 

 .food, refreshing drinks, or other remedies were employed, the 

 membranes of the stomach becoming rapidly gangrenous. The 

 domestic merely suffered from symptoms of irritation of the vis- 

 cera. 



The " Journal de Lot-et-Garonne " relates a case of an entire 



