INTLUENCES AND EFFECTS. 911 
Russia. Two instances have come under our notice of persons 
with some botanical knowledge, and one a gardener, who had 
resided in Russia and eaten of this fungus. In one case the Fly 
Agaric was collected and shown to us, and in the other the 
figure was indicated, so that we might be under no doubt as to 
the specics. Only one hypothesis can be advanced in explana- 
tion, It is known that a large number of fungi are eaten in 
Russia, and that they enter much into the domestic cookery of 
the peasantry, but it is also known that they pay considerable 
attention to the mode of cooking, and add a large amount of salt 
and vinegar, both of which, with long boiling, must be powerful 
agents in counteracting the poison (probably somewhat volatile) 
of such fungi as the Fly Agaric. In this place we may give a 
recipe published by a French author of a process for rendering 
poisonous fungi edible. It must be taken on his authority, aud 
not our own, as we have never made the experiment, noiwith- 
standing it seems somewhat feasible :—For each pound of mush- 
rooms, cut into moderately small pieces, take a quart of water 
acidulated with two or three spoonfuls of vinegar, or two spoon- 
fuls of bay salt. Leave the mushrooms to macerate in the liquid 
for two hours, then wash them with plenty of water; this done, 
put them in cold water and make them boil. After a quarter or 
half hour’s boiling take them off and wash them, then drain, and 
prepare them either as a special dish, or use them for seasoning 
in the same manner as other species.* 
This method is said to have been tried successfully with some 
of the most dangerous kinds. Of these may be mentioned the 
emetic mushroom, Russula emetica, with a bright red pileus and 
* Pour chaque 500 grammes de champignons coupes en morceaux d'assez 
mediocre grandeur, il faut un litre d’eau acidulée par deux ou trois cuillerées de 
vinaigre, ou deux cuillerées de sel gris. Dans le cas on l'on n’aurait que de l'eau 
&sa disposition, il faut la renouveler une ou deux fuis. On laisse ks cham- 
pignons macérer dans le liquide pendant deux heures eutiéres, puis on les lave a 
grande eau. Is sont alors mis dans de l'eau froide qu’on porte a l'ébullition, ct 
apres un quart d’heure ou une demi-heure, on les retire, on les lave, on les 
essuie, et ou les appréte soit comme un mets spécial, et ils comportent les 
mémes assaisonnements que les autres, soit conme condiment.—Aforel Truiié 
des Champignons, p. lix. Paris, 1868. 
