FUNGI OF NOVA SCOTIA. MACKAY. 131 



•' The parents noticed a staggering gait, inability to talk, 

 and a tendency to laugh in a hysterical way. When I saw the 

 patients some time had elapsed from the appearance of the first 

 symptoms. There was a marked dilation of the pupils, flushed 

 face, inability to stand, restlessness, occasionally an idiotic 

 laugh. The appearance was one of intoxication. The children 

 lived some distance apart but had been playing in the backyard 

 when taken sick. There was practically nothing alarming as 

 pulse, temperature and respiration were normal. The whole 

 impression seems to have been made on the nervous system, 



'' The appearance was suggestive of belladonna poisoning, 

 but as there was no way of their obtaining that plant, we had 

 to look elsewhere. The mother of one patient handed me a 

 mushroom or toadstool which he had brought her, saying it was 

 'good to eat berries." This looked like evidence of the 

 infant's having eaten of this fungus. The other children, I 

 learned subsequently, had been playing among the same fungi. 

 What puzzles me is that I have always understood this class of 

 poisons produced gastro-intestinal irritation, vomiting and purg- 

 ing. Not only were tliese symptoms absent, but it was ex- 

 tremely difficult to provoke vomiting. Happily, after a few 

 hours the symptoms passed away, leaving no after effects." 



This description was written on the 21st of September, 

 1905, and a w^eek or two later, Mr. Peck wrote as follows : 



" The specimens of mushroom sent are in my opinion a 

 small form of Psilocybe foenisecii (Pers.) Fr., called the Mow- 

 ers' mushroom or Haymakers' mushroom. It is u&uallv found 

 growing among grass in meadows, pastures or lawns. I have 

 eaten it when cooked and regard it as an edible species, having 

 never experienced any ill effects from it. It is not pleasant in 

 flavor when raw, and I would not think children would eat 

 enough of it in the raw state to produce any ill effects." 



This genus of fungi has purple-brown spores, but when old 

 is not easily distinguished from others of similar habit such aa 



