BEPOBT OF THE STATE BOTANIST. 



107 



resulting from "mushroom poisoning." There are, however, 

 some species in other genera that are capable of causing nausea, 

 vomiting and derangement of the digestive organs. They are 

 unwholesome because of their persistentl}^ bitter, acrid or other- 

 wise disagreeable flavor, or because of toughness of texture or 

 the possession of some quality rejiugnant to the stomach. They 

 may indeed cause sickness and vomiting, but the irritation they 

 induce is soon apparent and quickly causes the rejection from the 

 system of the offending substance and then the normal condition 

 of the system is sooq restored. Sometimes recovery in such cases 

 may be hastened by the administration of some simple emetic 

 which will assist the stomach in its efforts to expel the unwhole- 

 some material. 



The dangerous species do not appear to possess such irritating 

 qualities. The symptoms of sickness do not appear till several 

 hours after eating, generally eight to fifteen. Then the face 

 exhibits an ashy paleness, there is distress in the region of the 

 stomach, resulting in nausea, vomiting and relaxation of the 

 bowels, the extremities become cold, the pulse feeble, the sight 

 affected, and finally stupor and death follow if relief is not 

 obtained. To this kind of poisoning, atropine, the active 

 principle of Atropa belladonna, has been found to be an antidote. 

 It has been administered in doses of -^i „ to tjV of a grain accord- 

 ing to the severity of the case, and the dose may be repeated if 

 necessary. It should be administered in subcutaneous injections. 

 For two thousand years or more people have made use of mush- 

 rooms for food and from time to time death has resulted from 

 their use, either through ignorance or carelessness. Still men 

 persist in their use, and those who would use them if they dared 

 frequently ask how they may distinguish mushrooms from toad- 

 stools, the word " toadstools " indicating to them poisonous or 

 harmful species. Many attempts have been made to answer this 

 question and many rules have been formulated by the observance 

 of which, it has been claimed, all difficulty and danger would be 

 avoided. Some of these rules are entirely unreliable and to 

 others there are so many exceptions that they are misleading and 

 practically worthless. The rules vary according to the stand- 

 point of the one proposing them. One who considers the Com- 



