On a poisonous fungus, Lactaritis tomiinosus 



(ScHAEFF.) Fr. which causes inflammation 

 of human limbs. 



by 

 S. Kawamiira. 



With one plate. 



I. Introduction. 



While engaged in the study of Japanese Tungi, I noticed 

 among uumerons reports on poisonous specimens the following 

 four cases in which a very queer effect had been caused by 

 eating some of the poisonous plnnts. 



1.) In October, 18S7, four men of a family living at Yama- 

 shina-mura, Lji-gori, Yamashiro province ate a fungus, locally 

 called *' Sasa-take," and suffered acute inflammation of the 

 four limbs. Strange to say the pain was limited to the distal 

 part of the limbs only. The physician, S. Saito,^^ who examined 

 the patients, reported the matter to the late Dr. K. Inoko, then 

 the assistant professor of the materia mcdica in tlie medical 

 college of the Tokyo Imperial University. 2.) In October, 1890, 

 four men of a family living in Taira-machi, Iwaki province, were 

 poisoned by a fungus, called "Sasa-motashi." According to the 

 certification made by K. Y'amaxouchi, a physician who treated 

 the patients, and transmitted by Y^ Sawa to Dr. Inoko the 

 poisonous effect was similar to that of the first case. 3.) Similar 

 accidents occurred also in the same month at two places in the 

 Fukushima prefecture. In the first at Hirano-mura, Shinobugori, 

 five men of a family were poisoned by a fungus called locally 

 "Sasa-take," ''Take-motashi," or " Yabu-take." A doctor T. 



1) Senya Saito, Jgakushi, then docti r of the Kyoto Hospital. 



