The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-27
DANGERS OF MUSHROOMS.
Their Harmfulness often Exagger'
ated Through Ignorance.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: The
reason suggested In the editorial article
in THE sun for the limited popularity
Of mushroom gathering Is undoubtedly
the main one, yet | think there are more
mushroom hunters than Is generally
supposed. Certainly the fascinations OF
the quest are enough to outweigh the
dread with which one starts. There are
very few poisonous varieties. ana these
are almost all included In the Amanita
+ amily. II one liz equipped with just a
little common sense and a modicum OF
caution there is no cause for fear. Many
edible mushrooms bear an undeserved
sinister reputation because OF the accu-
sations Of the ignorant. Some plants
will make people Ill, but they are usu-
ally their own antidote, as the emetic
Russulas and Boleti. Some are harm
full. but not fatally so, to certain people,
while they are eaten by others with no
bad result. A few people cannot eat
any varieties, even as certain ones can
not eat strawberries or clans.
The meadow mushroom. Agaricus
campestris. is the one most commonly
used In the East. There are close rela-
tives OF this species which the casual
observer would take for the meadow
mushroom. They are all gooG and all to
be distinguished from Amaaita phnl-
loides by the color OF the gills. In the
meadow mushroom these are at first
pink as the plant becomes older the
color changes to purplish brown and at
last to almost black. Now Amanita
phalloldes show gills which are always
white, no matter how old the plant is.
The stem Of the meadow mushroom is
not dubious at the base and shows no
sign OF the sheath. while the stem Is
almost always fee from II evidence
OF the Veil. Amanita phalloides has a
stem dubious at the base. set in a kind
of sheath which is popularity called the
poison cup" and the stem carries the
disrupted veil in the shape OF a collar.
Some cases of poisoning have been
the result OF installing Amanita mus
caria for the highly priced Amanita
csrsarla. but none but an expert should
attempt this selection, and even he with
s%crupulous care. am sceptical Of the
bona fides Of many reported cases OF
amanitine poisoning. The silly sei-
SON produces exaggerations along
other lines, why not along his line?
Then some physicians are relieved from
strenuous thought about patients that
puzzle them II II can be established
that they have been guilty of eating
mushrooms.
| remember one case. A woman died
HlpTf tndAl "A Ntfh u ElthllaSS anu
she had eaten mushrooms before she
was taken down A friend who shared
the feast suffered no bad effects (and be
1t know that amanitine is no respecter
OF persons). Perhaps If a dog had
licked her hand before her Illness the
attending physician would hav" pro-
nounced her case one of hydrophobia.
Amanitine poisoning, ! understand. is
rather slow at first, the symptoms mani
Testing themselves about twelve hours
after ingestiOn than the progress is as
rapid az strychnlne poisoning, which It
resembles.
There ought to he a wider knowledge
Of the many edible mushrooms which
grow a%bundantly almost everywht re.
No variety Of the Coprinus genus is
harmful and they are produced law
ishly. ! found a quantity OF them some
time ago by a tree in East Fifty
second street. Thy indicate generally
an old tree stump or root buried whore
they grow. Then there are some Of the
HypholomIs, abundant on lawns. and
the MaTaSmius orcades (the fairy ring
mushrooms), and many others very de-
lectable.
| met a man this summer who made
my mouth water by telling Of the NOR
els which grow in his d~ooryard. None
OF the puffhalls Is poisonous, though they
ara not all. perhaps. edible. There arc
mtHy less attractive atablcs than 4
puffball IN prime condition. fried lik. an
omslet or stewcd with swccthreads.
Then there is the Pleurotus ostr-atus,
found on certain kinds OF trees. and the
P~leurotus ulmarius, found on the elm,
and the delicious Lepiota procera,
broiled, and the-but space is wanting.
JOHN G STEPHENSON.
IY VI. August %