260 



Mycologia 



Amanita muscaria L. 

 One of the most deadly mushrooms, celebrated for centuries 

 on account of its poisonous properties, due to the alkaloid mus- 

 carine, which affects the ganglia controlling the nerves of the 

 heart and thus retards and finally stops its action, if taken in 

 sufficient quantity. Atropine has the opposite effect on the heart, 

 and has therefore been successfully used as an antidote for mus- 

 carine. It is said that daturine, the alkaloid from Datura Stra- 

 monium, is sometimes used for this purpose instead of atropine. 



par Mm. ma 71 MANN i PLA5SARD 



Fjg. I. French chart showing deadly poisonous species. 



The literature of this species is more extensive than that of 

 all other poisonous species combined. It lacks the death-cup and 

 must be carefully distinguished taxonomically ; it has been gen- 

 erally used as a fly-poison, and also as an exhilarant in certain 

 parts of Russia ; it is celebrated in history because of its long 

 and distinguished list of victims ; it has been chemically analyzed 

 more often and more successfully than any other species; and an 

 antidote for its principal poison has been discovered. The writ- 

 ings of Palmer, Mendel, Macllvaine, Carter, Gibson, Atkinson, 

 Clark, Coville, Chestnut, Peck, Herbst, Kobert, Zellner, Esser, 

 Ford, and others contain many interesting details regarding this 

 species. 



