Hsiao-ch tin — Panaeolus papilionaceus Fr. 
The earliest record of a Laughing Mushroom appears to be in 
the early account of natural history by Chang Hua (3) in the 
Chin dynasty. ‘‘In the mountains south of the Yangtze River, 
on tall trees, there are mushrooms growing from spring through 
summer ... which are tasty to eat but often prove fatal. It is 
said that these mushrooms are mostly poisonous .. . . Those 
growing on the Féng tree (Liquidambar), when ingested, cause 
people to laugh unceasingly. The method for treating this is to 
use soil infusion, which cures it readily.”’ 
Subsequent authors give many similar records. In the Sung 
dynasty, T’ao Ku (14) states that ‘‘there is a kind of mushroom 
which causes one to suffer from a dry-laughing disease . , 
In the early Treatise on Fungi by Ch’én Jén-yu (19), the mush- 
room is named Tu-hsin ‘‘which grows in the ground. People 
believe it to be formed by the air from poisonous vermins, and 
kills people if taken . . . . Those poisoned by it will laugh. As 
an antidote, use strong tea, mixed with alum and fresh clear 
water. Upon swallowing this, it will cure immediately.’’ Ch’én 
treated 27 species of mushrooms from Taichow, Chekiang 
province. 
The mushroom is often identified as growing on Liquidam- 
bar trees. Ch’én Ts’ang-ch’i (12) states that “‘mushrooms that 
have poisonous snakes and vermins passing beneath them are 
all poisonous. Those that grow on Féng trees (Liquidambar) 
produce an unceasing laughing delirium.” 
This laughing mushroom was also recorded in old Japanese 
works, which is called Waraitake or Laughing Mushroom. 
Kawamura (1918) identified this as Panaeolus papilionaceus. 
Yu (1959) notes that this mushroom is found not only in Japan 
and China but also in the United States and that the “‘soil 
infusion’’ described in early Chinese works is the clear liquid 
after soil is mixed with water and allowed to settle, an effective 
antidote for poisons. 
Sanford (1972), in discussing the laughing mushrooms of 
Japan, records and translates two accounts from Chinese note- 
books or pi-chi, one in Yeh Méng-té’s Pi-shu lu-hua (early 12th 
cent.) of the Sung Dynasty, and one from Hsieh Chao-shua’s 
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