84 THE POISONOUS 



frames. They both died within twenty-four hours, in a 

 putrefactive state. In that family circle, thirteen or 

 fourteen persons were similarly affected, and only three or 

 four recovered. Most of them died within twenty-four 

 hours, in a putrid state. On the 7th of October, Sally 

 Blacker was taken ill of the same disease and died on 

 the fifth day." The narrative declares that she did not 

 putrefy immediately like the others, EXCEPT ONE OF HER 

 FINGERS. 



While poisonous fungi create the usual signs of fever, 

 affecting the mucous tissue of the primoe vise with inflam- 

 mation, congesting the brain, disordering the liver and 

 spleen, disturbing the circulation, and lessening or vitiat- 

 ing all the secretions, they produce, when used to excess, 

 or for a prolonged period of time, a marked tendency to 

 the ulceration and sloughing of compressed parts, as in 

 typhoid fever, or to the mortification of the intestines or 

 extremities, as in yellow fever, epidemic, camp, jail, or 

 hospital fever, or to carbuncular destruction, as in plague. 

 Every fungus of a poisonous nature does not produce all 

 these morbid phenomena ; but even the most nutritive of 

 the mushrooms will, when long and almost exclusively eat- 

 en, manifest the characteristic effects of the class. In sud- 

 den poisonings, the peculiar tendency to sphacelation does 

 not often occur, and when a disease is occasioned by only 

 one or two doses, we seldom meet with gangrenous phe- 

 nomena; but dreadful mortification often follows their 

 slow and protracted application. As far as I can obtain 

 information, it is made apparent that the more minute 

 fungous forms have the most poisonous and gangrenous 

 influence. Thus the long use of bread made of diseased 

 rye (Ergotsetia abortifaciens) causes, not only a distinctly 

 formed fever of a remittent character, but gangrenous 



