THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF TWO 
SPECIES OF POISONOUS MUSHROOMS* 
By MICHAEL LEVINE 
(WITH PLATES I AND 2) 
The older literature of mushroom poisoning has been thor- 
oughly summarized in the works of Paulet (1793), Gillot (1900), 
Ford (1906-7-8), Ferry (1911), Sartory (1014) and others. With- 
in the last decade more careful experimental studies have been 
made by mycologists, physiologists, and physicians, which throw 
new light on the physiological and toxicological effects both of the 
older well-known poisonous forms and certain species hitherto 
unsuspected or unknown. 
Gillot (1900) studied the physiological effects of the extracts 
of eight speciest of mushrooms on dogs, guinea pigs, and rabbits. 
Various quantities (25-100 gm.) of each species were macerated 
with ether and filtered. The filtrate was evaporated and dried at 
100? for two hours. The residue was either diluted in water and 
injected subcutaneously or powdered and then fed to dogs. The 
quantities injected varied from 3 to 5 c.c. All species caused 
death in guinea pigs except Lacíaria rufa, Cantharellus auran- 
tiacus, and Hypholoma fasiculare, which were found to be harm- 
less. 
Ford (1911), besides making his well-known chemical studies 
of the Amantia species, has also investigated haemolysins, agglu- 
tinins and toxins found in a number of other species of fungi. 
Aqueous extracts of the macerated pilei were studied by injecting 
subcutaneously in different animals a given quantity of the ex- 
tract before and after boiling. He was thus able to determine the 
presence of thermolabile or thermostabile haemolysins, agglutinins, 
and toxins. Besides studying eight species of Amanita and 
* From the Department of Physiology, Columbia University. 
T Clitocybe nebularis, С puni aurantiacus, Hypholoma sublateritium, Н. 
fasiculare, Russula sanguinea, R. Queletii, Lactaria vellerea, and L. rufa. 
Er 6 
