Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-11-23
DEADLY MUSHROOMS.
THE BEAUTIFUL BUT VENOMOuS
AMANlTA FAMILY. -

Beneath ths Pleasing Exterior. of
This Brilliant Fungus Turks
Vicious Poison That Is Fatal to the
Lives of Men and Cattle.
In the dark shade Of lofty pine trees
and under spreading oaks in more
open woods n mushroom is found SO
remarkable in color and graceful in
form that It's beauty has excited ad-
miration for hundreds of years. The
color Of its bright orange cap and its
chalk white stem and gills is height
ened by the surrounding darkness Of
the woods and presents a contrast as
singular as It is beautiful.
But beneath the pleasing exterior of
this brilliant fungus poison turks SO
fatal to the lives of men and cattle
that It is called the deadly amanta,
and IN different countries mothers eau
tion their children to beware Of its
charms.
Amanfta muscaria, the deadly, or
ny, amanita, Is completely incased In
n fieece-like covering during the early
stages of its growth, which makes 1t
decidedly egg shaped in form. As
the stem lengthens this covering either
adhsres IN loose patches to the top Of
the cap or It slips away and forms O
sheathing to the cup at the base Of the
stem.
Another inner covering breaks away
in Its turn from the cap as the mush-
room expands and forms conspicuous
collar about the upper part Of the
stem. The dubious base Of the stem
and these ruptured, feecy coverings
are pronounced characteristics which
are most helpful In distinguishing this
dangerous fungus from the other varis-
ties Of mushrooms.
1t Is strong. free from pests and
grows to height from four to sixteen
inches. In color the cap Is sometimes
bright scarlet, again orange or yellow
or reddish In the center and light vel
low toward the edges, and 1t has no.
ticeable wartllke patches spread over
the top. On old plants the color fades
out and late M the season particularly
forms Of the deadly amanita are found
which are almost white. The stem Is
easily separated from the cup at Its
base.
This mushroom Is more generally
known than any of the other poison
GUS species. 1t has long been used NJ
fly poison in Europe, and 1t takes its
name. muscaria, from the Latin word
for fly. Its poisonous effect upon hu-
man beings begins few hours after
Iaa tn,N
nausea and falntness, with cold per-
spiration and stupor, followed in So
we're casos by death from a gradual
weakening Of the heart.
A strong emetlc should be given Mt
once, and in all cases physician
should be called. Sulphate Of atropin
Is the only known chemical antidote
1t must be promptly administered by
hypodermic injections.
The poison may also be absorbed
through the pores Of the skin, and bad
cases Of poisoning have been produced
by simply holding an amanitn In the
closed hand or breathing its exhala-
tions In warm room.
II poisonous mushrooms are packed
In the same box with edible ones the
virus from the poisonous fungi is abb
sorbed by the harmless mushrooms,
and they become as dangerous to eat
as the original offenders.
In certain countries the deadly anna
nita seems to lose some of its virulen-
cy, and In the north Of Russia and
parts Of northeastern Asia 1t is used in
the sdme manner as wine for its in
toxicating effects. The mushrooms are
xathered In hot weather and are hung
, up in the air to dry or they are some
times picked fresh and put into soup
Or sauces. A small amount swallowed
whole Is enough to produce days in
toxication.
Another fatally dangerous member
Of the amanita family is the death
/ cup (Amanita phalloides), a beautiful
mushroom which also grows In the