5 TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 



which they were prepared; and, to some extent, 

 the nature of the organism, whether child or adult, 

 healthy or in poor health. 



When it is a question of the more particularly 

 alkaloid-containing mushrooms, especially when the 

 poisoning is due to muscarine, the toxic symptoms 

 generally develop rapidly, the first symptoms 

 appearing about one hour after the ingestion of the 

 mushrooms. On the other hand, if the poisoning 

 is due to one of the albuminoid group, and particu- 

 larly in the case of phallin, the period of incuba- 

 tion is longer, and may last ten, twenty, thirty, 

 or even forty-eight hours and more. 



The symptoms begin with dizziness and an 

 indefinable sensation of being ill. 



The second period is characterized chiefly by 

 digestive and by nervous derangements. The diges- 

 tive derangements are evidenced by very violent 

 and painful vomiting, and diarrheas of choleraic or 

 dysenteric character. The nervous derangements 

 vary according to whether they are developed by 

 an alkaloid, which causes delirium with hallucina- 

 tion, or by albuminoids, which cause depression, 

 ataxo-adynamia, and stupor, these being particu- 

 larly characteristic of the action of the toxic albu- 

 minoids. 



As for the period of termination, it results either 

 in death or a cure. If the poisoning is due to phal- 

 lin , death appears to be an almost inevitable con- 



