BANE AND ANTIDOTE. 333 



As these acted, the purging subsided, and at the end of twenty- 

 four hours it had passed away entirely, the invalid finding 

 himself as well as could be expected after sustaining so severe 

 a shock. The other patients, who were not in so much dan- 

 ger, experienced twitchings and tremblings in the face, which 

 quite disfigured them ; the brain seemed a blank ; though 

 awake, they felt as in a dream, and their visions were most 

 frightful. 



It is evident, from these particulars, that mushroom-poison- 

 ing specially affects the encephalic nervous system, and that 

 the best remedies are emetics and antispasmodics. In our 

 present ignorance of what are the poisonous principles in the 

 Amanita, we can adopt no other method than a chemical 

 neutralisation. 



AGARICUS C^ESAREUS, OR IMPERIAL MUSHROOM. 

 In this mushroom, for which, as we have seen, the Amanita 

 is too frequently mistaken, the inside as well as the outside is 

 yellow ; the upper surface of the pileus, which is equally free 

 from scales and warts, is, however, of a reddish yellow, like 

 that of an orange (whence the popular French name, la vrai 

 oronge) ; all the other parts are of a beautiful citron hue. This 

 agaric exhales an agreeable odour, combined apparently of the 

 scent of the vanilla and the truffle. It decomposes rapidly, and 

 when in a state of advanced putridity, the fragrance I speak of 

 is succeeded by well, by a fearful stench ! When young, and 

 still completely covered with its wrapper or volva (this, in the 

 Amanita, is imperfect), it is very like a hen's egg which has 



