114 TSE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. ^voi. xxv. No. 291. 



V. Toxin of the Present Fungus. 



The most common effectvS from poisoning by fungi are 

 vomiting and purging or some other disease in the digestive 

 tracts ; sometimes the poison reacts upon the circulatory and 

 nervous systems, and generally contraction of the blood vessels 

 results. An opposite effect is noticed in the case of this Lac- 

 taruis ; here circulation is accelarated, swelling, reddening and 

 inflammation are caused, which phenomena are confined to the 

 digital articulations of the limbs. It is true that at present we 

 know very little of the chemistry of the toxins found in poi- 

 sonous fungi. Even in the case of the well known Amanitas 

 we have no exact knowledge of their active poisonous prin- 

 ciples.i) No wonder that we know^ so little of the toxins of 

 our Lactaruis. 



We have at present no other investigation than that which 

 has been made by Dr. Inoko many year ago, we will there- 

 fore give his account of the poisonous toxins. 



" The alcholic solution, in which the fungur was dipped, was 

 filtered, and evaporated off; the residium watered, the precipitate 

 removed by filtration ; the filtrate concentrated by heating, diluted 

 chloric acid added to make the liquid acidic, and then brought to 

 reaction by several agents. Muscalin was absent, but some other 

 alkaloid was present. This, imagined to be cholin was injected into 

 frogs, rabbit, and marmots. In the case of the frog, retardation of 

 pulsation and slight motor -paralysis was noticed, but in the others 

 no reaction was visible, so that it was left undetermined whether the 

 alkaloid w^as cholin or not." 



I must here express my hearty thanks to Prof. Miyoshi 

 under whose supervi^on this works has been carried on. 

 Tokyo, December 1910. 



1) For instance, according to Egbert's investigation, Amanita phalloide& Fr. a 

 n~ost commonly known poisonous fungus, contained a very deadly toxalbumin nmed- 

 phallin (Robert, St, Petersburger, med. Woclienschr., XVI. 1891.) Nethertheless, re- 

 cently, Ford and Abel obtained from it two different poisons named Amanita-toxin 

 and Amanita-hemolysin which they showed to be not a toxalbumin, as Kobert be- 

 lieved, but a very sensitive glucoside. (Science, Vol. XXX, No. 760. 1909). 



