99 FLORA HOMGOPATHICA. 
when steeped in milk) has made some noise of late on the ~ 
Continent, I must warn those who might feel inclined to try it 
in this country, of the danger they would expose themselves to. 
It has not been clearly ascertained whether the species which 
grows in this country and in the south of Europe be indeed the 
same as that which is found in Kamtschatka, and called Amanita 
muscaria Kamtschatica. At any rate, our plant is known as 
highly poisonous, and the Kamtschatka variety may be another 
species, or haying partly lost its virulence from inhabiting a 
more northern climate. The properties of this variety are 
exceedingly curious ; and as they are contained in a German 
essay, “‘Annalen der Wetterauschen Gesellschaft fiir die 
Gesammte Naturkunde,” by Dr. Langsdorf, I trust a concise 
account of them will not be unacceptable. 
The variety of Amanita muscaria is used by the inhabitants 
of the north-eastern part of Asia in the same manner as wine, 
brandy, arrack, opium, etc., is by other nations. 
These fungi are found most plentifully about Wischna, 
Kamtschatka and Milkowa Derewna, and are very abundant 
in some seasons, and scarce in others. They are collected in 
the hottest months, and hung up by a string in the air to dry; 
some dry of themselves on the ground, and are said to be far 
more narcotic than those artificially preserved. Small deep- 
coloured specimens, thickly covered with warts, are also said to 
be more powerful than those of a larger size and paler colour. 
The usual mode of taking the fungus is to roll it up like a 
~ bolus, and swallow it without chewing, which the Kamtschadales 
say would disorder the stomach. It is sometimes eaten fresh, 
in soups and sauces, and then loses much of its intoxicating 
properties. When steeped in the juice of the berries of 
Vaccinium uliginosum, its effects are those of strong wine. 
One large or two small fungi is the common dose to produce a 
pleasant intoxication for a whole day, particularly if water be 
drank after it, which augments the narcotic principle. The 
desired effect comes on from one to two hours after taking 
