MYCOLOGIA 



Vol. II November, 1910 No. 6 



POISONOUS MUSHROOMS 



William A, Murrill 



Considerable attention has been given in these pages to edible 

 species of mushrooms, but very little has been said about poison- 

 ous species. This is partly due to the small percentage of the 

 latter as compared with the edible and harmless kinds, and partly 

 to the very inadequate knowledge we have of the poisons con- 

 tained in mushrooms. 



The purpose of the present article is to give a general introduc- 

 tion to the subject and to outline the problems to be solved, with 

 the hope that observations and experiments will be made which 

 will contribute to a more accurate and more practical knowledge 

 of the poisonous species native to this country. In the near 

 future, it is our intention to reproduce in this journal several of 

 these species in their natural colors, and to accompany them with 

 descriptions and notes regarding their chemical composition and 

 their physiological effects on the animal system. 



Considering its importance, it is remarkable how little is really 

 known about this subject; and the statements and opinions of 

 various authors are so conflicting that one often does not know 

 what to beheve regarding the commonest and best known forms. 

 Most of the literature centers about two species, Amanita mus- 

 caria and Amanita phalloides, which, owing to their abundance, 

 wide distribution, conspicuous appearance, and deadly qualities, 

 have been the chief causes of death from mushroom eating the 

 world over. The clinical side of the subject is an old one, but 



[Mycologia for September, 1910 (2: 205-254), was issued September 

 23, 1910] 



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