The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-02
MUSHROOM POISON.
Its Nature Determined and an Antidote
Discovered.
Washington Star.l

/
| Washington Star.l
. Crystals of mushroom poison! They
look harmless enough under the micro
scope. One would hardly suspect that
| their substance had caused the death of
| tens of thousands of human beings.
They are a new discovery, these crys-
tails. DR.. Thomas Taylor, microscopic
of the Department of Agriculture, is
making early history in this line of re-
search. Having devoted much attention
to the study of dangerous agsrics, he
proposes to separate from all of the
noxious species their specific poisons.
| With them he will make experiments
on rabbits and other animals. with
view to observing their effects and the
| usefulness of antidotes.
Naturally he has selected for first
| trial the most deadly fall mushroom, the
amanita mus caria. This species is
| sometimes called the "fy" mushroom;
single specimen has been known to kill
pint of flies in short time, those in
sects finding it very attractive. 1t grows
always in woods or on the borders OF
woods, having red or orange colored
top covered with warts. When it first
appears above ground it looks like an
egg standing on end. Not long ago
man wroie from Oregon to DR.. Taylor
saying; .,. .,1 .uhotr
shall call the poultry mushroom till
you give me better name for it. In
its, ha bits it seems link between vege-
table and animal life. 1t lives in fir
and hazel woods On hill wor fiat ground.
At first it pushes itself up through the
ground and sits up on end just like an
egg from the size of grOuse's egg to
that of a giant goose egg. Inc PERIOD
of the hatch depends upon the degree OF
humidity and heat in the atmosphere.
Generally it requires about three days.
One other quality 1t has in common with
it's biped relative: it sometimes dies and
rots in the egg"
OBTAINING THE CRYSTALS.
1t is undoubtedly the deadly amanita
to which the writer refers. After awhile
the egg is hatched-in other words. it
bursts, and the umbrella shaped mush
room grows out Oft. The lower part
of the egqshell remains to envelop the
foot of the stalk like cup. Other small
fragments of the shell adhere to the
sticky top of the red or orange hued
um brella, giving to the latter warty
look. A piece Of this agaric as big as
tea will commonly cause death. But the
worst of 1t is that it produces no symp-
toms until ten or twelve hours have
passed, when it is too late to administer
An antidote.
DR.. Ia, lor takes these mushrooms and
soaks them in alcohol. After giving
it time to absorb a sufficient quantity OF
the poison the alcohol is poured off.
The alcohol is then evaporated. leaving
behind it aummy substance. 10 this
substance benzine is added, which
coagulates the gummy stuff, leaving
the pure poison in solution. Finally the
solution is evaporated and the poison
crystals are left behind.
In this manner the fatal element OF
the worst of all fungi has been isolated.
The next question is what to do with it.
Some useful experiments have been made
with it already. Its specific action in
human beings and other animals is to
paralyze the nerve centers and stop the
heart. The victim dies literally of heart
failure. 1t has been ascertained that an
almost microscopic quantity administered
to a frog will soon cause its heart to stop
beating. There are few vegetable toxic
agents SO deadly as this poison, to which
the name "amanitin" has been given.
THE ANTIDOTE FOUND.
Fortunately there is thoroughly effec-
tive antidote for amanitin. It is sulphate
of atropin, obtained from the so-called
deadly niehtshade. A frog that has re-
ceived hypodermic injection of atropin
experiences no ill effects from a dose of
amanitin. On the other hand, a frogs
heart that has been brought to stop by
the mushroom poison quickly resumes
its action under the influence OF the an
tidote. Physiologically speaking, what
is true of frog is usually true OF hui
man being. This case ia no exception,
30 that anybody who is provided will
sulphate of atropin need have no rear
of the amanita plant.
1t is we'll known that some very dam
gerous species of mushrooms are COM
monty eaten with impunity in Europe.
They are first soaked in vinegar for
while, and then they are STEPPED in
scalding water, after which theysAare
taken out of the water and wrung out
in dry cloth before cooking. BY this
means practically all of the posion is re-
moved from them and they are rendered
harmless. No better precau ion could be
the slightest doub BIT of the escuienr quail
ity of species gathered. Ii may be, how
ever. that it would not suffice with every
kind of poisonous aga1ic. Small guam
titles of the amanita, by the way. some
laughing and committing all sorts of alb
l.sSa n r1r,H