431 



the loss of strenoth is very r;i[)id. Death usuahy occurs in fi.ur to 

 six days in children and in eight to ten days in adults, but if large 

 ((uantities of the fungus are eaten, death may occur within fortv-eit^ht 

 hours. One or two specimens are often enough to cause death. There 

 is no satisfactory method of treatment. Of course medical advice 

 should he obtained as soon as possible and everv effort made to rid 

 the alimentary canal of the poisonous material. l)ut the absorption of 

 the poison takes place so rapidly that even when the first symptoms 

 appear it may be too late to save the ])atient. Stimulants should be 

 employed freely in the hope of tiding the patient over the periods of 

 weakness, and narcotics should be used to relieve tb.e intense pains. 

 Atropin has no effect at all on this poison. 



Another group of Amanitas, to which belongs Amanita cotlutniata 

 (page 451), are entirely different in their poisonous properties. Thev 

 are deadly poison. I)ut in one respect they are not so bad as the other 

 group, for there is an antidote for the poison. The ])oison is .an al- 

 kaloid known as muscarin. and atropin is a perfect phvsiological anti- 

 dote for it. The clinical symptoms are (juite different from those in 

 the case of Amanita rcrna. The first signs of trouble usually appear 

 in one to five hours. The patient shows excessive salivation and per- 

 spiration, a flow of tears, and vomiting. Mental symptoms are also 

 present, particularlv giddiness with confusion of ideas, and. sometimes, 

 delirium and violent convulsions. Atropin should be given at once 

 and in large doses, and at the same time the alimeniary canal shouKI 

 be emptied of the ingested material as cpiickly as possil)le. Prompt 

 action on the part of a competent phvsician should in most cases save 

 the patient. 



Other poisonous mushrooms, such as Clitocybc iUudcns (page 513) 

 and Lcpiota Morgani (page 459), are usually not so dangerous as the 

 Amanitas, and a phvsician, if called within a reasonable time, will, 

 as a rule, be able to effect a cure. 



C01.1.ECT1NG Wii.D Mushrooms 



The first and most important thing, to be remembered by the per- 

 son who is going to collect wild mushrooms for the table is that he 

 must collect onlv such species as he is perfectly familiar with, and 

 only such specimens as he is perfectly sure belong to one of those 

 species. Anv one who will accept a mushroom merely because the 

 gills are pink or because the "skin" of the cap will peel off, or merely 

 because it is growing along with a well-known species or in a place 

 where a well-known species has previously been collected, has no 

 business collecting for the tal)le. for he is certain, sooner or later, to 

 get some poisonous specimens mixed in with the good ones. But 



