A nniversary A ddvcss, 7 



otherwise he may make the mistake of eating Agaricus 

 muscarius for ruhesoens with consequences which may be 

 inconvenient. Fortunately few Fungi seem to be actively 

 poisonous, and a man may go on experimenting with im- 

 punity for a considerable time. The best course is to confine 

 one's self to the use of those about whose good properties all 

 are agreed. 



Apart from this lower motive drawing us to the study of 

 Fungi, much advantage of a different kind may be derived 

 from a knowledge of their properties. Many of them are 

 the causes of disease in the animal and vegetable world. We 

 hear a great deal in these days of Bacterid, and though their 

 connection with disease is perhaps not certainly established, 

 there can be little doubt that their effect upon the human 

 frame is of a deleterious kind. Splenic fever has been almost 

 certainly traced to their action, and there is good reason to 

 suspect that other diseases — such as consumption, cholera, 

 and typhoid fever have a similar origin. They are a deadly 

 enemy to the surgeon's work, and need to be specially pro- 

 vided against in the treatment of wounds. It is possible 

 that the more careful study of these minute organisms may 

 yet yield incalculable benefits to mankind. 



It is not the human frame alone that suffers from the 

 attacks of Fungi — other animals suffer in an analogous way. 

 The sheep, the salmon, and the house fly are but specimens 

 of their victims. They do immeasurable harm in the vege- 

 table world. The potato disease, finger and toe in turnips, 

 rust in wheat are caused by Fungi. Almost every plant 

 has its own fungoid parasite which weakens its life and 

 hastens its death. From the largest Polypori to the smallest 

 moulds these mischievous pests are attacking not only one 

 another — that might be forgiven them — but the whole vege- 

 table and animal world. And there is no other way of 

 checking their ravages than by attaining to a better know- 

 ledge of their history. As they are the most destructive 

 agencies in nature, that branch of botany which is devoted 

 to their study cannot be set aside as of trifling importance. 



It is probable too that a better acquaintance with Funoj' 



