EDIBLE FUNGI. 165 



different nutriment, assume very different properties ? 

 And again, are we competent to judge of the wholesome- 

 ness of a particular article of food unless it is tried by 

 a very large number of person sunless it be ' exhibited/ 

 to use a medical term, on a great variety of constitutions ? 

 Indeed, is there not some ground for thinking that such 

 an exhibition would be in many instances far from 

 satisfactory ? 



" On the whole, it would appear that the advice of an 

 eminent physician, an ardent admirer of the fungus, was 

 good and sound. When he heard of the escape my 

 family had on this occasion, he said that this article of 

 diet should be partaken of with ' great caution/ And 

 by the way, is not this itself a very suspicious expres- 

 sion? 'Great caution'/ If T am introduced to a 

 gentleman, and told at the same time that I must con- 

 duct myself towards him with ' great caution* or he will 

 probably do me some deadly mischief, it would hardly be 

 thought a very hearty and promising introduction ; yet 

 here we are told that this excellent family to which we 

 are so warmly introduced has some members belonging 

 to it so villanously disposed, that possibly we may pay 

 for our acquaintance with our lives. This is not very 

 encouraging, and so the course adopted by a young lady 

 who indulges in these experiments, to whom I was speak- 

 ing the other day, would seem to be a very prudent one. 

 She says she never partakes of these dainties till she has 



