The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-07
How the Crystals Were Secured
by DIR. Taylor.
AN ANTIDoTE FOR THE POISON.
Some Interesting Experiments That
Have Recently Been Made With
Fungi Used for Food.


their substance had caused the death of
tens of thousands of human beings.
They are new discovery, these crystals.
DR.. Thomas Taylor, microscopic of the
Department of Agriculture. is making
early history In this line of research. Hav-
ing devoted much attention to the study
OF dangerous agarlcs, 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 eff
fects and the usefulness Of antidotes. He
has selected for first trial the most deadly
of all mushr ooms, the amanita muscaria.
This species is sometimes called the fly"
mushroom; single specimen has been
known to kill q pint of flies In short
time, those insects finding it very attrac-
tive. Ii grows always in woods or on the
borders of woods. having a 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
wrote from Oregon to DR.. Taylor, saying:
With this mail send you what l shall call
the poultry mushroom till you give me better
name for 1t. In its habits 1t see ms link be-
tween vegetable aud animal life. 1t lives In hr
and naZel woods. on hill or fiat ground. AT first
1t pushes itself up through the ground and sits
UP on end just like an egg, from the size of a
grouse's egg TO that OF giant goose egg. The
period of the hatch depends upon The degree OF
humidity ana heat in the atmosphere Gen.
orally it requires about three days. One other
quality it has 10 common with Its biped rela.
tive, it someIimer dies and rots III The egg.
1t is undoubtedly the deadly amanita to
which the writer refers. After aw bile the
egg is hatched-in other words. it bursts
and the umbrella-shaped mushroom grows
out of it. The lower part of the egg-shell
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 oraDge-hued umbrella, giving to the
latter a warty look. A piece of this agaric
as big as pea will commonly cause death.
But the worst Of it is that Ii produces no
symptoms until ten or twelve hours have
passed, when it is too late 10 administer an
antidote.
DIR. Taylor takes these mushrooms and
soeks them in alcohol. After giving it
time to absorb sufficient quantity of the
poison the alcohol is poured off. The alco-
hol is then evapOrated. leaving behind it
gummy substance. To this substance ben
zine is added. which coagulates the gum
my stuff, leaving the pure poison IN solu-
ton. Finally, tue 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
| 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 micro
ScOpic quantity administered to frog will
soon cause its heart TO stop beating. There
are few vegetable toxic agents so deadly as
this poison, TO which the name "amantitin"
has been given.
Forum ately, there is thoroughly ef-
fective antidote for amanitin. 1t is sui
phate of atrOpin obtained from the So
called deadly nighlsbade. A frog that has
received hypodermic injection of atropin
experiences no Ill effects from dose of
amanatin. On the other hand, frogs
heart that has been brought TO stop by
the mushroom poison quickly resumes it's
action under the Influence of the antidote.
PhysiolOgically speaking. what is true Of
frog is usually true of a human being.
This case is 20 exception so that anvil body
who is provided with sulphate Of atrOpin
need have fear OF the amanita plant.
1t is we'll known that some very danger
Gus species of mushrooms are commonly
eaten with impunity in Europe. They are
first soaked in vinegar for awhile, and then
they are stepped in scalding water and
wIung out in dry cloth before cooking. By
this means practically all of the poison is
harmless. No better precaution could be
recommended in all cases where there Is
the slightest doubt as to the esculent quail
ity OF species gathered 1t may be, how
ever, that it would not suffice with every
kind of poisonous agaric. Small quantities
Of the amanita, by the way, sometimes
cause people TO stagger about, laughing
and committing all sorts of absurdities, as
il drunk. Oddly enough, some people
seem to be proof against tie toxic action of
mushrooms.
A kind of amanita. only less deadly than
the muscaria. is entirely white and has no
warts. It's appearance being not such as
10 excite suspicion, it is frequently eaten
with fatal effects. 1t is found in spring on
edges of woods. but occurs less frequently
in the summer and autumn. Only few
weeks ago a very intelligent Chinaman in
the employ of Count Mitkiewicz gathered
a quantity of mushrooms Of this species In
the suburbs of Washington, giving most of
them to neighbors. Luckily they were
afraid to try them, but he partook of some
and died in consequence. An injection of
sulphate of atropin would have saved his
life.
1t is the purpose of DIR. Taylor to 20
through the entire series of bad mush-
rooms, obtaining from each its specific
poison in manner similar to that already
described. There are certain species
which, not actually dangerous to life, are
very acrid, affecting the mocus lining of
the Intestinal canal. Among these are the
so-caled russulss. They produce diarrhna.
often of an aggravated type. The active
principles of these egarics will be studied
also. There is a species known as the
"emite" mushroom, which would doubt
less be extremely dangerous were it not
that 1t promptly causes vomiting
1t is believed that medicinal uses will
be found for some of the mushroom
poisons. Already it has been discovered
that amanitin has the effect of checking
sweats. Research will be conducted In
this line by experiments with animals.
10 gathering mushrooms it is good rule
to avoid those that have an unpleasant odnr
or taste or which grow in filthy places.
Some of the bad agarics are so repulsive in
smell and appearance that it is hard TO
imagine how anybody could feel disposed
TO pluck or eat them. Yet even the So
called fetid woodwitch. the stencil of
which Is enough to turn the stomach, has
been eaten frequently. The same is true
OF The "trellised clathrus," which has
horrible smell and Ia extremely dangerous.
Nothing could be more unpleasant to the
eye than the well-known "verdigris" mush-
room, which is covered with disgusting
greenish slime. It Is highly poisonous.
Regard with suspicion all mushrooms