55 
Aqueous solutions of the product exhibited toxic actions upon 
frogs when injected into the lymph-sacs. The following symp- 
toms were elicited. Ten minutes after the injection of a moder- 
ate quantity, the frog made swallowing motions, apparently had 
difficulty in breathing and began to be lethargic. It remained 
partly paralyzed for ten to twenty-four hours, after which re- 
covery took place in about half the number of cases. 
In order to see if the alcohol extraction method of Harmsen was 
as efficient as its author claimed, we applied it to samples of the 
deadly Amaniia muscaria and to the harmless Clitocybe multiceps. 
In the first case, final residues were obtained which were ex- 
tremely toxic to frogs, killing them with the classical symptoms 
of muscarin poisoning. On the other hand, the Clitocybe residues 
were wholly non-toxic but gave the general tests for alkaloidal 
substances. 
We now decided to purify all of our mushroom extraction 
residues by precipitation with potassio-mercuric iodide and sub- 
sequent treatment as outlined by Dragendorff. After this puri- 
fication treatment, aqueous solutions of the final products cause 
in frogs exactly the same symptoms as similar solutions of the 
residues from the original alcoholic extracts. At this time it was 
also noted that all of the purified products gave oie ea 
reactions for choline with Rosenheim’s perio 
extracted materials from the harmless Clitocybe ven ee 
no toxic action upon frogs under any circumstances but seemed 
to contain very large amounts of choline. 
Our conclusion is that Inecybe infida, as well as Amanita 
muscaria, contains material which, although precipitated by the 
alkaloidal reagents and exerting toxic effects on frogs, differs 
oth hoa and qualitatively in its effects from those 
given by n from Amanita muscaria. On the other hand, 
extracts i cee from Amanita and Inocybe, when obtained 
from Clitocybe multiceps, which is known to be harmless, show 
no toxic effect on frogs. . It also seems likely that choline is 
present in the alcoholic extracts of the mushrooms and passes 
unchanged through the treatments planned to extract and purify 
muscarin and similar substances. 
