FOOD VALUE OF FLESHY FUNGI S51 



fungus contains a third alkaloid, which he called "pilz-atropin." 

 Muscarine depresses the same nerves that are stimulated by "pilz- 

 atropin" and atropin, both of which therefore are physiological 

 antitodes for muscarine. Persons who have been poisoned by 

 A. miiscaria and whose heart has nearly ceased pulsating may be 

 given atropin, with the result that heart action will again become 



strong. 



Studies on muscarine indicate that it is not a chemical entity 

 but a group of at least five substances, having the empirical form- 

 ula C5H15NO2. Muscarine occurs in Amanita pantherina, Bole- 

 tus satanus, B. luridus, and Russula emetica. Clitocybe illudens, 

 Lactarius torminosns, lnocybe bifida, and /. decipiens contain a 

 muscarine-like principle that may be similar to that in Amanita 



miiscaria. 



There occurs in Helvetia esculenta a water-soluble, heat-labile, 

 hemolytic principle that has been identified as helvellic acid, 

 C12H20O7. It is generally agreed that fresh specimens are free 

 from this poison but that it occurs in old or decaying morels. 



FOOD VALUE OF FLESHY FUNGI 



The food value of mushrooms is indicated by analyses made 

 years ago by Mendel (1898). Certain of his data are presented 

 in Table 27. Mendel pointed out that these percentages do not 

 represented the digestible fraction. For example, he found that 

 only about one-seventh of the total nitrogen in Coprinus comatus 

 is actually digestible. No determinations were made of the nu- 

 tritive value of the ether extract, that is, the fatty substances, but 

 Mendel assumed that the digestible portion of this fraction must 

 be similar to that of the total-nitrogen fraction. 



TABLE 27 

 Composition of Certain Edible Fungi 



Constituents 



Dry 



{percentage on dry-weight basis) 



Matter Total Protein Ether 



Species (percentage) N N extract Ash 



Coprinus comatus 7.81 5.79 1.92 3.3 12.5 



Morchella esculenta 10.46 4.66 3.49 29.3 10.4 



Pleurotus ostreatus 26 . 30 2 . 40 1.13 31.5 6.1 



Psalliota campestris 8 . 20 4.75 3.57 11.6 



