AGARICUS CAMPESTRIS.— THE COMMON MUSHROOM. 
Class XXIV. CRYPTOGAMIA.— Order IV. FUNGI. 
Natural Order, FUNGI. THE MUSHROOM TRIBE. 
Stem solid, white, cylindrical, two or three inches high, half an inch in diameter ; curtain white; pileus 
white, changing to brown when whole, and becoming scurfy, convex fleshy, two or four inches in diameter 
liquefying in decay ; gills loose, pinky red, changing to liver colour, in contact with the stem, but not united 
to it, numerous, irregular, some of the gills forked near the stem; others next the edge of the pileus. When 
the mushroom first makes its appearance, it is smooth and almost globular, and in this state it is called a 
button. This species is the best and most savoury of the genus. It occurs in parks and pastures in Sep- 
tember. The true eatable mushroom is distinguished from the poisonous and unpleasant kinds by these 
marks ; when young, it appears of a roundish form like a button, being white, and the fleshy part very 
white, when broken, the gills within being livid. As they grow larger, they expand their heads by degrees 
into a flat form, and the gills underneath are at first of a pale flesh colour ; but as they stand long, become 
blackish. 
The genus Agaricus is believed to contain upwards of a thousand different species. Sprengel enume- 
rates only six hundred and forty-six ; but this is much below the real nuruber, as referred to by other 
authors. 
The A. semiglobatus, (Fig. A.) is one of the most common, and, if Messrs. Brande and Sowerby’s account 
be correct, the most deleterious of the tribe. It occurs in most parts of the kingdom, in exposed and 
elevated pastures, moist meadows and woods, from May to September. Dr. Greville says, it is extremely 
common in Scotland ; and Mr. Curtis found it in great abundance about Peckham, Hornsey, and other 
places near London. 
It generally grows singly, but sometimes springs up in clusters, especially on dunghills, or on those 
spots where dung has been thrown. The stipes, or stem, is from three to six inches in height, and two or 
three lines in diameter, pale yellowish, hollow, the tube being very small, and sometimes partly filled with 
a white pith ; more or less crooked, somewhat incrassated towards the base, glutinous, furnished with a 
ring, and mostly dotted with black immediately beneath the pileus. The pileus is from half an inch to an 
inch and a half in breadth, of a pale reddish-orange, or straw-colour, in the full grown ones exactly hemis- 
pherical, rarely becoming in large specimens plano-convex, very glutinous, and smooth, hence the name 
glutinosus given to it by Curtis. The usual colour of the cap is reddish-orange, but when wet with rain it 
becomes browner and transparent, so that it sometimes appears as if striated. The flesh is thin and white. 
The lamellee are numerous, fixed, horizontal, extending in a right line, or nearly so, from the margin of the 
pileus to the stipes, and beautifully mottled with the purplish black sporidia. With regard to this species, 
it may not be improper to remark, that the poisonous qualities usually ascribed to it, are still somewhat 
problematical. 
In vol.iii.of the “London Medical and Physical Journal/ 5 cases are detailed by Mr. E. Brande, in which 
the species was partaken of by several individuals of one family, all of whom were saved by energetic and 
well-directed treatment. In vol. xx. of the same work, is the subjoined account, by Mr. Parrott, of Mitcham, 
in which it will be seen that death occurred from eating this fungus in three instances, and very alarming 
symptoms were produced in others. 
“The family, which partook of this poison, consisted of William Attwood, aged 45 years; Eliza, his 
wife, 38; their daughters, viz. Mary, 14, Hannah 11, Sarah, 7? Eliza, 5. 
“On Monday, the 10th inst. 1808, all ate stewed champignons, at one o’clock, which stew was made in 
an iron vessel, and consisted of the articles already specified, with the addition of butter, flour, pepper, 
salt, and water. Each of these parties, Hannah excepted, was supposed to have eaten more than half a 
pint. Within ten minutes after they had eaten their meal, they felt their spirits exhilarated, and the eldest 
daughter said to her mother, 4 How funny you look !’ All the parties continued cheerful till about six o’clock, 
when, having taken their tea, they were attacked with stupor, which was not of long continuance ; this was 
soon succeeded by severe pains in the bowels, accompanied with violent vomiting, and copious purging, which 
continued till the following afternoon, when the patients were alarmed, and requested my attendance. 
Under these symptoms, it appeared that the first step to be taken, was to get rid of the poison ; for which 
purpose, oily opening medicines wefe administered, and plentiful dilution with warm broth was recommended. 
This method of treatment appeared to promise success in the case of Mary, who had so far recovered on 
the following day, Wednesday, that she walked about a quarter of a mile from home ; in the evening, 
however, the symptoms returned. On Thursday evening '§he became convulsed, and died on Friday 
morning at two o’clock. 
