294 
FOREST AND STREAM 
JULY, 1917 
Beware the 
Deadly Amanita! 
By ALBERT A. HANSEN 
T HE ever-increasing cost of living, 
which has been so marked of recent 
years, has inspired widespread search 
in various fields for foods which may be 
economically and easily procured. And so 
the attention of food-economists, of late, 
has been turned seriously toward mush¬ 
rooms as a cheap, convenient and nourish¬ 
ing source of food. 
This recent tendency renders particular¬ 
ly pertinent a warning against a group of 
mushrooms which exist abundantly in the 
woods, and are known to be dangerously 
and sometimes fatally poisonous to the un¬ 
wary collector who foolishly persists in the 
indiscriminate and promiscuous eating of 
mushrooms. The group referred to is the 
amanita mushrooms, made up of several 
species, which include the fly amanita or 
fly-poison, and the deadly amanita or “de¬ 
stroying angel.” The deadly property of 
the amanita has been a matter of truthful 
tradition since Babylonian times; its list 
of victims includes many who were famous 
and illustrious. And in modern times the 
fame of the deadly amanita has been in¬ 
creased by the cunning and diabolical uses 
to which it has been put by master crimi¬ 
nals. 
All persons who contemplate the gather¬ 
ing of mushrooms should be acquainted ac¬ 
curately with the deadly amanita, a dan¬ 
DEADLY AMANITA: Stages of development in this highly dangerous 
plant, which contains a poison for which no antidote has ever been dis¬ 
covered. Note the “death-cup” at the base of the stalk, which may exist 
several inches below ground. This mushroom is extremely variable in its 
characteristics; hence it is difficult for the beginner to identify. 
FIR-CONE AMANITA: A species of 
Amanita which matures into a stately and 
handsome plant, sometimes attaining a foot in 
height. Conflicting statements are on record 
as to its poisonous character. As a matter of 
fact it is poisonous, but not so dangerous as 
the Deadly Amanita. 
gerous and common inhabitant of the sum¬ 
mer woods. This plant outlaw frequents 
the woodlands in practically all parts of 
the country, from July to late October, 
seemingly preferring the pine woods, 
where it grows in greatest abundance. 
One of its characteristics, which aids us in 
recognizing the amanita, is the “death-cup,” 
which forms below ground at the base of 
the stalk. When very young, 
this cup surrounds the entire 
plant; hence mushrooms in 
the “button” stage should 
never be gathered for food. 
And in the older plants, the 
death-cup is frequently lost 
through decay or the ravages 
of insects. Many of the 
amanita are strikingly hand¬ 
some in appearance; their at¬ 
tractiveness renders them all 
the more dangerous. All parts 
of the plant are poisonous and 
should be shunned. 
Occasionally a poisonous 
mushroom may enter the col¬ 
lector’s basket by mistake. If 
signs of digestive distress are 
experienced a few hours after 
mushrooms have been eaten, 
an emetic should be promptly 
used. If relief is not thus ob¬ 
tained within eight hours after 
the meal, a physician should 
promptly be consulted. The 
poisonous principle in one spe¬ 
cies of amanita is termed mus- 
carin; its fatal activity is due 
to the deadening effect upon 
the nerves of the heart. An 
antidote, atropine, will per¬ 
haps save the life of the un¬ 
fortunate victim, but it should 
be administered in extremely 
small amounts and only under 
the direction of a competent 
physician. One of the amani¬ 
tas, however, contains an ex¬ 
ceedingly dangerous poison 
for which no antidote has ever been de¬ 
vised, and death inevitably results. 
The question most frequently asked of 
the mushroom expert is: What test may I 
apply in order to discover whether a mush¬ 
room is dangerous? 
The answer must always be: There is 
no infallible test—unless one desires to eat 
the mushroom, which might prove a fatal 
test. 
One frequently hears it stated that white- 
gilled forms are poisonous, or that mush¬ 
rooms whose skin will not peel are dan¬ 
gerous, or that the death-cup is a sure in¬ 
dication of poisonous species, etc. These 
statements are all false and misleading. 
REDDISH AMANITA: A large, 
edible species, readily distinguish¬ 
able from all other Amanitas by the 
flesh, ordinarily white, turning red 
upon becoming bruised. The en¬ 
tire plant has a reddish hue, but 
the gills are whitish. Note the 
fragmentary remains of the veil on 
the upper surface of the cap, and 
the absence of the “death-cup.” 
