Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-05
|DEADLY NJ JSHROOMS
THE BEAUTIFUL BUT WEMnMDus
AMAkiTA FAnas1.s

Beneath the Pleaain& Gx4srRor of
This Rrilliant FnnxRs Lnrks q
vicious Poison THAT q F,ataa 10 the
Lives OF Men and Cattse. 4.
In the dark shade OF lofty pine trees
and under. spreading oaks in more
open woods a mushroom is found so
remarkable In color and graceful In
form that its beauty has excited ,ad-
mfration for hundreds Of years. The
eolor Of its bright orange cap and its
chalk white stem and gills is Eeight-
lned by the surrounding darkness of
the woods and presents a contrast as
singular as it is beautiful. x
1 But beneath the pleasing exterior Of
this brilliant fungus q poison turks SO
fatal to the lives Of men and cattle
that it is called the deadly amanfta,
and In different countries mothers eau
ton their children to beware Of it's
charms. 55$;; n ri H sss4
| Amanita muscaria. the deadly, or
fly, amanita, is completely incased In
a 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
adheres in loose patches to the top OF
the cap or it slips away and forms a
sheathing to the cup at the base of the
stem. @ s n .35 M 3ss
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
sten.f The dubious base Of the stem
and these ruptured, fleecy coverings
are pronounced characteristics which
are most helpful in distinguishing this
dangerous fungus from the other varie-
ties OF mushrooms. SE r. 3,
/ It 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 it has no.
hceable wartlike patches spread over
the top. on old plants the color fades
out, and late in 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. It has long been used ais
a fly poison In Europe, and it takes its
name, muscaria, from the Latin word
for a fly. Its poisonous effect upon hui
man beings begins a few hours after
1t has been eaten. The symptoms are
nausea and faintness, with cold per-.
SEPARATION and stupor, followed in SCI
| we're cases by death from q gradual
weakening Of the heart.
A strong emetic should be given at
once, and in all cases physician
should be called. Sulphate OF atropin
is the only known chemical antidote
for this poison, and to save the patient
| 1t must be promptly administered by
hypode infections. \
Il The poison may also be absorbed
through the pores Of the skin, and bad
cases Of poisoning have been produced
by simply holding an amanita in the
closed hand or breathing its exhala-
1 lions in warm room.
| If 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. si
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 it is used in
] the same manner as wine for Its in
toxicating effects. The mushrooms are
!. gathered in hot weather and are hung
up in the air to dry or they are some
4 times picked fresh and put into soup
or sauces. A small amount swallowed
i whole Is enough to produce a days in
Il toxication. #
Another fatally dangerous member
OF the amanita family lie the death
| cup (Amanita phalIoides), q beautiful
mushroom which also grows In tht
woods, especially In pine forests. It Il
I not SO highly colored as the deadly
] amanita, and, unlike that mushroom
It has a smooth, satiny cap. It is usu
ally white or straw colored, but speci
mems are found which are light brown
green, yellow and spotted. The sten
10 white and nearly smooth, and th,
cup at the base Of the stem ID inyaria