14 



tions, by a physician, of some heart stimulant, preferably atropine, iu 

 doses of from 1/100 to 1/50 of a grain. As a stimulant emetic, mus- 

 tard is particularly valuable. If this is not effective, apomorphine 

 should be administered hypodermically by a physician. Tannin is of 

 little or no value in rendering the muscarine insoluble in the stomach. 

 If vomiting has not taken place, recently burned charcoal may be 

 administered for its mechanical effect in absorbing the poison, or a 

 couple of grains of permanganate of potash in a 1 per' cent alkaline 

 solution to decompose it. The use of this substance should be followed 

 by oils or oleaginous purgatives, and the lower intestines should be 

 washed out with an enema of warm water and turpentine. The use of 

 atropine must be governed by the symptoms, but it is advisable to push 

 it heroically, for in this alkaloid we have an almost complete physio- 

 logical antidote to the poisonous principles of the fly amanita. Experi- 

 ments on animals poisoned by this fungus and also by muscarine 

 extracted from it have very clearly demonstrated that when the heart 

 has nearly ceased to beat it may be stimulated almost instantly by a 

 hypodermic injection of atropine. Its use, as thus demonstrated, has 

 been the means of saving numerous lives. Muscarine may be dis- 

 solved out of the fly amanita to a great extent by vinegar, but the 

 possible existence in the plant of such compounds as phallin (described 

 under death cup) makes its use extremely dangerous. 



The greatest diligence should be observed by market inspectors in 

 preventing specimens of this and the following species from being acci- 

 dentally mixed with edible species of fungi which are sold in the open 

 markets. 



DEATH GUP. 



Amanita phaUoldes (L.) Fr. 



Other names: Poison amanita; bulbous amanita. (Fig. 2.) 

 Description and habitat. — This is not so large or brightly colored as the 

 preceding fungus, but is nevertheless decidedly attractive to the experi- 

 menting and untutored epicure. When fresh, it has neither a dis- 

 agreeable odor nor taste, nor has it any ill appearance due to the 

 presence of larvae. It grows from 3 to 6 or 8 inches high and has a 

 smooth, satiny cap, which is strongly convex at first, finally becoming 

 flat or slightly concave. It is usually white or straw-colored, but may 

 be green, light brown, yellow, or even spotted when found growing in 

 dense shade. The stem is white and nearly smooth. The flocculent 

 covering almost invariably slips away from the cap in this species and 

 forms a more or less conspicuous cup at the base of the stem at the 

 point of enlargement,, as shown in figure 2. In dry weather it some- 

 times partially adheres to the cap. The cup is, however, invariably 

 present. In connection with the white gills and spores and the bulbous 

 base it is the distinguishing feature of the species. In general shape 

 the death cup is somewhat like the common mushroom, but it is very 



