110 OCCASIONALLY FATAL. 



the gills are always white, or only very slightly tinged. 

 The stem is bulbous at its base. While a few species 

 of Amanita may be eaten with impunity, a large propor- 

 tion are known to be deadly poisonous, and two in par- 

 ticular give trouble in Canada. It must be distinctly un- 

 derstood, however, that while we have limited our de- 

 scription to these two species of Amanita, there are many 

 other poisonous forms, and no one should use as food any 

 mushroom with which he is not familiar. 



FLY AGARIC Amanita muscaria (L.) Fr. 



Other Common Names: Fly Amanita, Fly Fungus, 

 Fly Killer. 



This mushroom is not confined to the Western Hemi- 

 sphere. It is native also to Europe and Asia where its 

 name originated from the fact that it has for centuries 

 been used as a poison for flies. Its natural place of 

 growth is not in pastures but in woods. Nevertheless, re- 

 cords show that cattle are sometimes poisoned by it. In 

 northeastern Asia the fungus is used in the manufacture 

 of an intoxicating drink, notwithstanding the fact that 

 many deaths result from over-indulgence. 



The alkaloid muscarin is the chief poison which has 

 been isolated. It acts on the nerve centres, producing the 

 The Poisonous nervous symptoms. Bruce and Lond men- 

 Constituent tion it as the only known substance which 

 specifically contracts the pulmonary ves- 

 sels. It is stated that .003 to .005 gram of muscarin is 

 a very dangerous dose for a man. The amount present 

 in the fungus varies greatly under different conditions. 

 Moreover, a varying amount of the alkaloid pilz-atropin 

 also contained in the mushroom neutralizes the muscarin 

 to a greater or less extent. It is probably owing to the 



