332 



their fugitive nature, the difficulty of preserving them, and perhaps the incuri- 

 ousness of travellers, as well as their scarcity in the damp parts of equinoctial 

 countries, have been the causes of the proportion in such climates between 

 Fungi and other plants being unknown. 



Properties. A large volume might be written upon the qualities and uses 

 of Fungi, but in this place they can be only briefly adverted to in a very gene- 

 ral way. They may be said to be important, either as food or as poison, or as 

 parasites destructive to the plants upon which they grow. As food, the most 

 valuable are the Agaricus campestris, or common Mushroom, the various spe- 

 cies of Helvella or Morel, and Tuber or Truffle ; but a considerable number of 

 other kinds are used for food in various parts of the world, of which a useful 

 account will be found in Decandolle's excellent Essai sur les Propritte's Medi- 

 cates des Plantes, in Persoon's work Stir les Champignons comestibles, and in a 

 paper by Dr. Greville in the 4th volume of the Transactions of the Wernerian 

 Society. 



It is necessary to exercise the utmost care in employing Fungi the nature 

 of which is not perfectly well ascertained, in consequence of the resemblance of 

 poisonous and wholesome species, and the dreadful effects that have followed 

 their incautious use. It is true that many kinds are named by Pallas as being 

 commonly used by the Russians, which are plentiful in countries where they 

 are not employed for food ; but, in the first place, it is not perhaps quite certain 

 that poisonous and wholesome species are not confounded under the same 

 name ; in the next place, climate may make a difference ; and lastly, much de- 

 pends upon the mode in which they are cooked. Upon this subject Delile 

 observes, that it was ascertained by M. Paulet, in 1776, that salt and vinegar 

 removed every deleterious principle from that most poisonous plant the Agari- 

 cus bulbosus ; that it is the universal practice in Russia to salt the Fungi, and 

 that this may be the cause of their harmlessness, just as the pickling and sub- 

 sequent washing of the poisonous Agaric of the Olive renders it eatable in the 

 Cevennes ; but that nevertheless it is much wiser to run no risk with unknown 

 Fungi, even taking such precautions ; a remark to which he was led by the 

 lamentable death of a French officer and his wife, in consequence of breakfast- 

 ing off some poisonous Agarics, which were nevertheless eaten by other per- 

 sons in the same house with impunity. It was probable that in that case a 

 difference in the cooking was the cause of the difference in the effect of the 

 Fungi ; but it was a sufficient ground for distrusting all Fungi except the cul- 

 tivated ones. So strongly did the late Professor L. C. Richard feel the pru- 

 dence of this, that, although no one was better acquainted with the distinctions 

 of Fungi, he would never eat any except such as had been raised in gardens in 

 mushroom-beds. One of the most poisonous of our Fungi is the Amanita mus- 

 caria, so called from its power of killing flies when steeped in milk. Even this 

 is eaten in Kamchatka, with no other than intoxicating effects, according to 

 the following account by Dr. Langsdorff, as translated by Dr. Greville, from 

 whom I borrow it. 



" This variety of Amanita muscaria is used by the inhabitants of the north- 

 eastern parts of Asia in the same manner as wine, brandy, arrack, opium, &c, 

 is by other nations. These Fungi are found most plentifully about Wischna, 

 Kamchatka, and Wilkowa Derecona, 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 

 6aid to be far more narcotic than those artificially preserved. Small deep- 

 coloured specimens, thickly covered with warts, are also said to be more pow- 

 erful 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, 

 ■v'.'hich, tho Kamchatkadales say, would disorder the stomach. It is sometimes 



