Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-28
A MUSHROOM lNTOXICANT
Fungus Growth That Exhilarates or Else
Kills.
Fly Poison Made From It-In Russia
1t is Ranked With
Opium.
From the Edinburgh Scotsman.


| agaric, Amanita muscaria. 1t is known I'M
| der this name because in former time an
| infusion Of it was used for fly poison, and
probably from this circumstance our Eng
fish word mushroom is derived. The old
French word for fly was mousche, and the
plant that killed it was called mouscheron.
The name became extended in its meaning,
and, instead of being confined to this spe-
| cies, was taken to signify mushrooms in
general. OF the many poisonous mush-
rooms that grow in the woods, this seems
| to be the only one which has acquired pop
ular recognition. Its bright scarlet cap
covered with warts or spongy scales, the
huge size to which it sometimes attains,
| its universally of growth and its album
dance combine to bring 1t conspicuously
| into notice. 1t is variable in color. being
found scarlet. carmine, orange, greenish
yellow, pale brown or even white in hue
and Is often mistaken for edible species in
common use, an error the more likely to
occur from its variable color. Although
| 1t Is constantly spoken Of as the most poi
sonous of mushrooms, 1t Is not SO deadly as
some allied species. but its poison is most
active and has caused numerous accidents
Its action upon most persons is that of a
narcotic resembling opium in its more i'm
mediate effects. single specimen has
caused death when eaten in the fresh state,
| and a little of the juice of it injected under
| the skin of small birds has killed them in
| seems to be partially removed by heat and
| entirely so by boiling. as dog has been
known to exist on boiled fly agarics for
weeks, while the smallest quantity of the
! decoction would have killed it In day.
Use 1t as a Food.
Although the fly agaric is highly poison
| GUS in this country, where instances are
recorded Of its having proved fatal to many
who have eaten it, 1T is largely consumed
| in the north of Russia and in Scandinavia.
| The peasartry about Nice and in Savoy
are also said to use 1t as food. 1t Is either
eaten fresh or dried and strung for winter
| use, but before being used 1t is well macer-
ated in salt and vinegar until all the poi
sonous properties are extracted. Whether
the plant Is less active on the continent
than with us whether the poisonous
principle is rendered inert by the process
which 1t undergoeS is uncertain. Frederic
Gerard, a Frenchman, maintains that the
amanitine or muScarine, as the poison Of
this mushroom is named. in particular can
be entirely dissolved out Of the tissues of
the plant by first soaking 1t for some hours
in salt and water and afterWard boiling
1T in fresh water before being dressed and
eaten In the presence Of q commission
appointed by the Sanitary Association of
Paris he showed the means of eliminating
the noxious principles from these deadly
PLANTS, and he and his family made a plen-
tiful repast of the mushrooms so prepared.
This mode of preparation of poisonous
mushrooms is not always effective, for
cases are on record of persons losing their
lives from eating the fly agaric so prepar-
ed. The wife of the Gar Alexis l died after
partakfng of the mushroom prepared for
her during Lent. The poison is not killed
or rendered inert by this process, but is
simply dissolved entirely out of the fibers
of the mushrooms and held in solution by
the water as active as ever. There seems
no doubt, however, that the plant is eaten
on the continent, for Cooke says that two
instances have come under his notice of
persons possessed Of some botanical knowl-
edge who had resided in Russia and had
there partaken of this mushroom.
The Ostiacks, the Kamtschatdales and
ether Inhabitants of Asiatic Russia use it
as an intoxicant. Its Intoxicating power is
strongest when eaten raw. Langsdorff says
the most powerful effect Is produced by
drying the fungus and swallowing it with
out mastication. This seems to bring on
state of inebriation closely bordering upon
delirlum and is usually accompanied, more
or less, with spasmodic affections 1t Is de-
cocted with the runners of the willow
herb. Epilobfum augustifolium, or the fruit
of the VIII orteberry, Faccinium ulginosum,
and made into highly Intoxicating liquor
called monka mohr by the Russians This
practice. common enough among the tribes
OF northern Asiatic Russia, is now confined
almost entirely to the nomadic Korjakes
a people inhabiting the region near the
Gulf of Penyhinsk Boring strait. The in
toXicating liquor from this mushroom was
much used among all the tribes of northern
contact with the Russians, from whom
they learned the habit of drinking spirits.
Effect of HabituaI Use.
Keenan, says that the habitual use of this
liquor completely skaters the nervous sys-
tenn, and its sale by Russian traders to the
natives has been made a penal offense
Like the opium trade in China however
In spite of the strongest prohibitions a
proLtapie business is done. The mushroom
aoes not grow on the barren steppes over
Whch these nomadfc tribes wander and the
Russian trader can demand almost fahu
lous prices for the Intoxicating mushrooms.
reindeer may be had in exchange for one
OF Two mushrooms, and twenty dollars
worth of furs may be bought with a single
specimen. They are generally collected in
not weather and strung up to dry but thew
are more priced when found already dried
on the ground. In the latter case their in
loAlcatng qualities are more powerful than
"nen artlhc1ally prepared. When natu-
raily dried the mushroom is rolled up like
bolus and swallowed by the natives with
out mastfcation, which they say disorders
the stomach One large or two small sneci-
mems swallowed whole are sufficient TO pro-
duce a pleasant intOXication for whole
oay, ana II water be drunk Immediately
AFTER the narcotic principle is increased and
the sensation prolonged. Three or four
mushrooms diluted in a decoction OF will
Iowherb or whortleberry would make a
large company drunk
so enduring are the effects of tbic r,oiso,
that persoLs have been intoxicated bv eat
ing the flesh of a reindeer which had heen
klled shortly after feeding upon the mush-
room, and children have been poisoned with
milk of women under the influence OF This
htoxicant. The desired narcotic effect
comes on from one to two hours after the
mushroom has been swallowed. A wild and
furious excitement is produced but does
not seem to be followed by any unnlsa SAINT
results. In some cases the symptoms are
OFTEN accompanied by extraordinary aeil1
lty and enormous increase of muscuIar
strength. instances are recorded of men
under the influence of this poison running
Ten miles carrying on their backs a sack nf
nour weighing 12O pounds which in their
normal condition they could barely uft
Ihese people personify this mushroom ana
assert that they are only obeying its he
nests when they commit suicide or other
crimes under its influence. They have re-
course to the use of this intoxicant when
they wish to fortify themselves for prened-
ltated assassination.
Inc acrid principle possessed nv tbis
mushroom is the same as that which 10
round In hashish and Indian hemp II ia
one OF the commonest of scandinavian
plants. and the inhabitants of that region
nave been long acquainted with its intoSi-
eating properties.