Chapter 1 

 THE FOUNDING OF MYCOLOGY 



Mycology, the study of fungi, had its beginning along with the 

 study of other kinds of living organisms. Knowledge concerning 

 fungi, however, has advanced somewhat more slowly than that 

 of seed plants and larger animals. Nevertheless, if the influence 

 of discoveries in any particular field of biology upon those in 

 other fields is traced, it is apparent that the findings in each field 

 have tended to promote a parallel advance in every other phase 

 of biologic knowledge. Despite this fact, knowledge of microbic 

 hfe lagged from the beginning of historic time until at least well 

 into the nineteenth century. 



Phenomena connected with the nature, origin, and develop- 

 ment of fungi remained for a long time completely invested in 

 superstition and mysticism. No doubt even in prehistoric times 

 man had, through tests of their edibility, some familiarity^ with 

 such larger kinds of fungi as mushrooms and puffballs, and he 

 may have concerned himself with philosophical musings on their 

 nature. Abundant evidence, dating back to the beginning of 

 historical records, shows man's interest in fungi. For several 

 reasons, however, appreciation of their true nature was gained 

 very slowly. In the first place, self-constituted authority was 

 revered for nearly 2000 years, records indicate, in all matters 

 pertaining to church, state, and secular education. Under such 

 a regimen experimentation was prohibited and might be at- 

 tempted only at the risk of severe punishment, or even execu- 

 tion, if the offender was apprehended. Even today, the influ- 

 ence of the teachings and beliefs of "authorities" on advances in 

 science is still very potent. Perhaps, however, the time will 

 come \\ hen facts in science, no matter by whom they are brought 

 to light, will themselves be "authority," and self-constituted hu- 

 man authorities will dominate thinking to a lesser degree. In 

 the second place, microscopic aids to vision began in 1590 with 



1 



