206 



(I cannot, LoweTer, say secuiuhim arlcm) piodnced violent sickness on another 

 individual, who, moreover, had never before experienced sickness — indeed this 

 fact would seem to suggest that the stomach may be ' ' edvicated" by long habit 

 to bear this noxious food, and therefore that its effect upon organs well trained 

 and highly accomplished in digesting it, would be no criterion of what might 

 happen when the expcrinicntam in corpo7-e I'ili is tried. My friend assures me 

 that he has eaten the highly poisonous Boletus Satanas with no worse effect than 

 a little indigestion the nest morning. Can, I would ask, the experience of such 

 a seasoned digestive apparatus as his be any guide to those who have not gone 

 through the course of training which he has. 



Again, may it not be possible that the same kind of fungus which in 

 some instances is wholesome may if grown under different circumstances, and 

 supplied with different nutriment, assume very different properties? And 

 again, are we competent to judge of the wholesomeness of a particular article of 

 food unless it is tried by a very large number of persons — unless it be "exhi- 

 bited," to use a medical term, on a great variety of constitutions, indeed, is there 

 not some ground for thinking that such an exhibition would be in many in- 

 stances far from satisfactory. 



On the whole, it would appear that the advice of an eminent physician, 

 an ardent admiier of the fungus, was good and sound. When he heard of the 

 escape my family had on this occasion, he said that this article of diet should 

 be partaken of with "great caution." And, by the way, is not this itself a 

 very suspicious expression? — "great caution !" If I am introduced to a gentle- 

 man and told at the same time that I must conduct myself towards him with 

 " great caution," or he will probably do me some deadly mischief, it would hardly 

 be thought a very hearty and promising introduction ; yet here we are told that 

 this excellent family to which we are so warmly introduced has some members 

 belonging to it so villianously disposed that, possibly, we may pay for our ac- 

 quaintance with them with our lives. This is not very encouraging ; and so the 

 coui-se adopted by a young lady who indulges in these experiments, to whom I 

 was speaking the other day, would seem to be a very j)rudent one. She says 

 she never partakes of these dainties till she has seen the effect they have had 

 upon somebody else. But, even so, only picture the ghastly scene which a ban- 

 q\iet of this kind would present — each guest looking anxiously into his neigh- 

 boiu's face, awaiting in terror the contortions which are to show that he has 

 partaken of the fatal dish ! 



My task is done. Perhaps a good and conclusive argument may be found 

 to each of the objections I have brought forward, and that the ingenious and 

 accomplished members of the WooUiope Club who have promoted this present 

 entertainment may, from their wide experience, be able to demolish them alto- 

 gether. I can only add the earnest hope that neither at that repast nor in "the 

 to-morrow morning," which, according to good authority, is the bane of many a 

 pleasant thing, any member of this distinguished club will have reason to repent 

 of their foray among the f ungusses (applause). 



