Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-09-12
TOADsTOOLs KILL
TWENTY-FIVE IN
TEN DAYS TIME
Michael Thorn, of Newark, Is
Latest Victim of Poison
Gus Fungi.
l6-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
is ALSO SERIOUSLY ILL
DR.. Schenck Says 1t Is Hard for
Layman to Tell Real
Mushroom.

There have been twenty-five deaths
in New York and New Jersey this
month from people mistaking toad
stools for the savory mushroom. The
latest death was that of Michael J..
Thorn, of As Kossuth street. who died
last night, and whose daughter, Miss
Dorothy Thorn. 16 years old. is In a
serious condition at the family home.
Six of the deaths were in this State.
According to the Rev. Dr. I. S. V.
Schenck, of the City Hospital. there is
no way for those who are not familiar
with the species to tell the difference
between the poisonous and the HARM
! less fungi
All of the tests. according to Mr.
Schenck, who has made a deep study
of the fungi, are useless. He said that
the test of placing spoon in the deli
cacy, and II 1t turned color not to eat
1t. is all nonsense. He also said that
one can distinguish a mushroom from
"a toadstool by the lining.
Color Lining No Guide.
There Is nothing in the color of the
lining which will serve as a safe
guide" he said. persons may often
be deceived by the color of the lining.
The only safe rule that 1 know to go
by, and one which cannot fail. Is to
avoid all fungi growth which has
! in doing this you may miss some OF the
most luscious mushrooms, but you Will
be on the safe side and free from all
fear of poisoning. Yet some of tho
most poisonous fungi have cups at
their base, and there is no antidote
/ for those who eat them. Others of this
specie are not poisonous, but are hlgh-
ly indigestible, and the person VINO
eats them will suffer severe pains In
the stomach
"The only way to be on the sate sioe
is to avoid all fungi that has cup
growth at the base 1t is better to miss
a good mushroom than to make a fatal
mistake.
"It Is generally considered that there
is only one eatable mushroom, when as
q matter of fact there are more than
I o0o of the species, and experiments
viii other species are being made. The
most savory of these are the kino
which appear the latter part in August
! and the first of September. 1t has
solid stem and is pink underneath. AS
If gets older the pink turns to black
This ia the one for which toadstools
are often mistaken
Girls Condition Serious.
The condition of Miss Thorn is
alarming. Dr. Warren, who is attend
ing her. holds out but little hope for
her recovery. Mr.. Thorn and his son,
FRANK went to the Anton Geigus farm.
in Grove street, Richfield, Saturday. to
fqnre on repairs to a hothouse.
Completing his business he went
walking through the country ana ate
green peaches and drank a quantity OF
snrinr water. Later they picked the
toadstools. and when they reached
nome others of the family ate the
fungi. Sunday morning Mr.. Thorn was
awakened by severe pains in his stom-
acb DR.. Warren was called and he
attributed their illness to toadstools.
The other members of the family re-
fused to eat the fungi. They are Mrs.
Thorn, Lena, 10 years old. and Louis
years old Mr.. Thorn was born In
Bavaria, Germany forty-six years ago,
and came to this country in 1889 and
-ettled in this city. He was a car
penter.
Frank Thorn Recovering.
Funeral services for Mr.. Thorn will
be held Thursday morning from st.
Benedicts Church. Interment will be
In st. Mary's Cemetery. Frank Thorn,
10 years old, who was with his father
when the fungi was picked, and who
ate some of the supposed mushrooms,
is recovering. The other members of
the family refused to partake of the
supposed delicacy.