396 BACTERIA AND FOOD-POISONING 



Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnodadus diowd} mistaken for honey- 

 locust. 



Broad leaf laurel (Kalmia litifolia) mistaken for wintergreen. 



Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) roots mistaken for horse- 

 radish, artichoke, parsnip, etc. 



By far the most common of these cases of plant-poisoning is due 

 to the eating of the poisonous mushrooms or " toadbtools" (Amanda 

 muscaria), (A. phalloides), (A. verna). 



The symptoms of poisoning with A. phalloides is thus described 

 by Ford: 



" Following the consumption of the fungi there is a period of six 

 to fifteen hours during which no symptoms of poisoning are shown 

 by the victims. This corresponds to the period of incubation of 

 other intoxications or infections. The first sign of trouble is sudden 

 pain of the greatest intensity localized in the abdomen, accompanied 

 by vomiting, thirst, and choleraic diarrhea with mucous and bloody 

 stools. The latter symptom is by no means constant. The pain 

 continues in paroxysms often so severe as to cause the peculiar 

 Hippocratic f acies, la face vulteuse of the French, and though some- 

 times ameliorated in character, it usually recurs with greater 

 severity. The patients rapidly lose strength and flesh, their 

 complexion assuming a peculiar yellow tone. After three to four 

 days in children and six to eight in adults the victims sink into a 

 profound coma from which they cannot be roused and death soon 

 ends the fearful and useless tragedy. Convulsions rarely if ever 

 occur and when present indicate, I am inclined to believe, a mixed 

 intoxication, specimens of Amanita muscaria being eaten with the 

 phalloides. The majority of individuals poisoned by the ' deadly 

 Amanita' die, the mortality varying from 60 to 100 per cent, in 

 various accidents, but recovery is not impossible when small 

 amounts of the fungus are eaten, especially if the stomach be very 

 promptly emptied, either naturally or artificially." 



Metallic Poisons. Various canned goods have been repeatedly 

 accused of causing poisoning, but the cases in which this has occurred 

 when the foods have been sterilized by the pressure method are 

 extremely rare. Where it has caused trouble it is usually due to 

 some metallic poison found in the cans and not to poisons developed 

 in the food due to bacterial activity. 



Asparagus is often looked upon as one of the canned products 

 most likely to cause poisoning. This is due in a large measure to the 

 fact that asparagus takes up large quantities of tin, and some indi- 

 viduals are especially susceptible to this substance. The quantity 

 of tin, and especially copper, which is taken up in most cases varies 

 with the amount and kind of acid found in the fruit or vegetables. 

 Moreover, when a low or poor grade of copper is used, it is more 

 readily attacked by the fruits than are the pure compounds. 



