FUNGI. 23 



a hazel nut, affects me sensibl)' if taken on an empty stomach. 

 Dizziness, nausea, exaggeration of vision and pallor result 

 from it. The pulse quickens and is full, and a dreaded pres- 

 sure affects the breathing. I have not noticed change in the 

 pupil of the eye. Nicotine from smoking a pipe with me 

 abates the symptoms, which entirely disappear in two hours, 

 leaving as a reminiscence a torturing, dull, skull pervading 

 headache." 



Small amounts of the dried Amanita muscaiia are said to 

 be used by inhabitants of northern Asia for the stimulating- 

 effect upon the nervous system, producing, like other narcotic 

 poisons, a dreamy state of intoxication, deepening into sleep.* 



Dr. W. S. Carter, of Galveston, Texas, who has made a 

 careful study of fungal poisoning and its treatment, groups 

 the toxic species in two classes : — 



First — Those containing minor or irritant poisons, which 

 act locally on the gastro-intestinal tract, such as Clitocybe 

 illudens and others. From the prompt way in which vomiting 

 and purging begin there seems to be no doubt of their local 

 irritant action on the alimentary canal. Such symptoms may 

 not be regarded as dangerous unless the poison be taken in 

 enormous quantities or by one in poor health. 



Second-^ Those containing major poisons which act on 

 the nerve centres after absorption, causing symptoms to appear 

 a long time after the poison has been taken and very often 

 terminating fatally. This group includes the various species 

 of Ainaniia. From eating them, vomiting and purging may 

 also happen as prominent symptoms, but generally only occur 

 late — ten to fifteen hours after partaking — and are due to 

 the action of the poison on the nerve centres. This is clear 

 from the fact that these symptoms appear when the poison is 

 given either hypodermically or intravenously to animals. 



By means of over one hundred experiments upon lower 

 animals. Dr. Carter has arrived at the following conclusions : — 



*Von r.oeck, Ziemssen's Cyclopedia of Medicine, Vol. VII, p. 927. 



