The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
TESTS FOR MUSHROOMS.
All the Popular Methods for Telling Poison
eus klnds Found wanting.
From the Lancet.

from INC L0HCtt
The distinctions between edible and pois-
OnOus mushrooms are usually based on EN-
pirical grounds, with the result that mistakes
Of a serious nature may and often do. occur.
The subject has re gently received the atten-
ton OF Prof. Labesse. who has described
the characters whereby edible and poisonous
mushrooms are distin suished a In various locali-
ties. Many popular tests for ing the
wholsaOmen ess or otherwise Of a MUSHROOM
are based on color. Odor. taste and texture;
on the presence OF rose colored lamelle or q
milky Juice; on the situation in which the
fungi grow. and on the action Of the mush-
rooms on various substances. including gold
and silver coins. milk and onions.
Thus. according To one popular notion,
mushrooms having a blue, violet, green OF
red color are unit for food. but this lest would
exclude many wholesome fungi. including
the green Russula and the green Clytocybe.
IL has been said that only mushrooms which
do not chan &c color when cut are good TO eat,
but Lactarius delioiosOs. some species OF Boz
letus. and many other mushrooms which
change color are perfectly harmless, while.
on the other hand. Amanita muscaria and
some other fungi which do not change color
when cut should be avoided.
Prof. Labesse points out that the presence
Of an agreeable Odor y not an lnfallible test Of
a good mushroom, az Q species OF Amanita
UAmanite phalloIde) In especially dan gerOus in
spite OF its pleasant Odor. There 10 q dictum
among certain amateur gatherers that a
good mushroom mas . krh'eiui tss1e' ms
test is useful In many cases, but not In all
e. e., IAmanite phalloIde and la fausse Oronge
(Amanita musCariaI are scarcely bitter. but
quite unfit for eating.
As regards texture it Ia generally regarded
that compact, brittle mushrooms, with a dry
skin, are edible. but Prof. .Labesse considers
thls 10 DO mere paeJuuce' stne eating OF
indispose anv one placing confidence IN theee
cbaracters Muahrooms with rose colorad
am."m ""unmU nOD.snA ~ 10 sIhtS
lamell& are usually cOhsiuereu 10 ne eulDie'
but this IL a false notion. soms species Of Vol
va ria and other poisonous fungi possessing
this character: Mushrooms with a milky
letters. bu: :his rule mus: no: be followed
700 nnea'' ao S .ouiS ,h..ann Oh
tne genus LAo'ar'us Sou'u 'nereoy DC eA-
The situation in which mushrooms grow is
a very uncertain crit erlon Of edibility. Thus,
It Er would Dc Is d %ss5S to oD TsSATSS sI ~ % aSS TssSs
grow IN such places. On the Other hands'
under trees generally have been coH3emnsd'
but the succulent Lactarius deIiciosua RrowsTi
SPoWs Under popIars' while Species OF b"IIaa
vella and Hydrlirn, which aOirish in shady
woods, form a wholesome dish.
ring does not broye a mushroom 10 he NOS
onous: The bls cHeTninE is TsnerSlIyr due re more nor
rooms wbefhar nnoisonous ar not faiI 10 biacE-
en- these metals The curdllnr of milk nv
musbroons Il SDothsr nronertY Which has
NOTHING In comEon WITH %toxlclty the csusso ~
the Curdiin1 heinz sttTihntahIs n ira 49,
snce Of an acid or a SsrmeSt An old custon
consisted in dinnipS a %hite onion oS \ cioya
~ Garlic into IL cooEinS vesssI cop,a injno
the mushrooms and notins whether ths IatreT
tiTns al hroVn or not re- nrsS'ro H. ,bet
onlv MOTIONS m,NahroouSs ave I',rn N hrnIn
Nv ihis trsatnsnt III MOI iuatiaah ia sInoe soDn
non-Doisonous yaTieties do chang color IN
this Iya Wb;is .orrs noIsonouS /, axis,t.s 49,
IL il a common belief that slues and InseCts
attacE edihia m,,SLrooyns MS nc a. IL nc
mSanS nnivsv.aiiv trvo a. the daa1,y UymWo
tas are attaciad Nv In m vbiIa MANI whnII-
Some fInSi are reSnsrtsA nv thsSa d.rrsdo
tors ~ NeP"
The tests 40 far desorIhed are IarveIv NJ
a rule-of-thumb nature but another test
which has receiyed wide accentsnce drOends