THE POISONOUS EFFECTS OF FUNGI. 73 



LECTUEE IV. 



MOST OF THE FUNGI ARE POISONOUS, AND PRODUCE DIS- 

 EASES RESEMBLING MARSH FEVERS. 



only are the fungi generally, poisonous to a sin- 

 gular degree, but the phenomena attendant upon their 

 introduction into the system are so peculiar, as to arrest 

 the attention both of the toxicologist and pathologist. In 

 most cases, the poison lies dormant, for a time after its 

 ingestion, then excites a morbid action of a febrile cha- 

 racter, continued in some instances, remittent or intermit- 

 tent in others, which is sometimes followed by abscesses 

 or gangrene, as observed in typhoid fever and plague, 

 occasionally by locked jaw and yellow skin, as in yel- 

 low fever. Even when using habitually, fungous food 

 of a slowly poisonous quality, such as rye affected with 

 ergotsetia abortifaciens, females of adult age, and the 

 richer classes of society are, to a remarkable degree, ex- 

 empted from the disease-producing potency, which exerts 

 itself so disastrously in some parts of France and Swit- 

 zerland, on the poorer and more exposed portion of so- 

 ciety. 



Of late years, too, it has been found that many cuta- 

 neous disorders, and at least one mucous disease, are, if 

 not absolutely dependent on, at least closely associated 

 with, and aggravated by, the growth of minute crypto- 

 gami. That these predatory fungi are really causers of 

 7 



