134 FUNGI OF NOVA SCOTIA. MACK AY. 



(no nine else living in the house) for supper with meat, etc. He 

 ate them all, the old lady not partakinc^, and soon afterwards 

 developed marked symptoms of poisoning from an irritant and 

 depressing agent. There was vsevere pain and distress in 

 stomach and l)owels, with vomiting and rapid exhaustion 

 accompanied hy abdominal distension, drawn features and hag- 

 gard countenance with clammy and cold .skin, subnormal tem- 

 perature and cardiac failure, suppression of urine and paraly- 

 sis of bowels. Although eliminative and supportive measures 

 were used thoroughly it was impossible to ])revent death, which 

 occurred in about 33 hours from the time he ate the supper — 

 apparently from paralysis of the heart from the effects of some 

 toxic agent. 



" Ptomaines might produce a similar train of symptoms, 

 but there was no evidence to show that the food he ate had 

 undergone any decomposition likely to ])roduce poisonous 

 alkaloids. I think the most reasonable assumption is that some 

 poisonous fungus was included in the lot he gathered, although 

 this cannot be proven as the fungi were eaten. The old lady 

 could not give a clear idea of the different kinds which might 

 have been present. 



" I saw a somewhat similar case a few years ago, in which 

 the man recovered ; and in this case it was also impossible to 

 demonstrate the kind or kinds of mushrooms oaten. As I have 

 seen only these two cases during a period of more than twenty 

 years i'n general practice, in a community in which large quan- 

 tities of mushrooms are consumed, I assume tliat the ])oisonous 

 fungi arc few and far l)etween in this rogi(m of the province; 

 for I think there is doubtless much carelessness among people 

 in the matter of selection." 



Panceolus retirugis Fr. Edible, Middleton, RRG. Anti- 

 gonish, JMS. 



Panceolus campanulatus L. Luneinburg, MCII. 



