and was probably applied to the ‘fungi’ because of their sponge-like growth. It is evident that some of our more exact botanists, or etymologists who compounded the word for them, consider the Greek word and not the Latin as the origin of the mu in the English word and the mou in the French, though, according to analogy, the u should have been changed into a y, for the study of ‘fungi’ is termed by them mycology. It is hardly necessary to add that the words ‘fungology’ and ‘fungologist’ are hybrid compounds of Greek and Latin, which are simply intolerable to ears correct, as are many other words similarly compounded, and recently introduced into our language. The Latin fungus is plainly a weakened form of the Greek spongos, and goes to show that the idea of a ‘sponge’ was from the first associated with the fungi, and that the Greek mucos must be taken as the origin of the French mousseron and the English ‘mushroom.’ It is curious that the Greek, Latin, and English ‘fungous’ terms have all been used in a sense reflecting on some of our species. The Greek mucos represented a silly, stupid fellow, and the Plautus couples the fungi—‘soft-pated’—with the ‘fools,’ ‘stolid’ and ‘fatuous.’ In like manner in our own language, Bacon speaks of certain persons as ‘mushrooms and upstart weeds’ because of their sudden growth from a lowly origin. South, in one of his sermons, reflects on “mushroom divines who start up of a sudden,” and whose success is ‘not so good as to recommend their practice.’ Carrying out the same analogy, the late Albert Smith, if we recollect rightly, spoke of ‘stuck-up people’ as springing like mushrooms suddenly into notice, and, like them, from very questionable soil.
“One word as to the connection between fungi and what are called ‘fairy rings’ in our meadows. These fairy rings unfortunately lose all their poetry when it is known that they are simply produced by the growth of various kinds of fungi. The fungi start from a centre, owing to some peculiarity of the soil and decaying vegetable matter in it, and when they have exhausted the spot on which they originally sprang up, they enlarge their borders, as it were, and thus form circles, giving a darker tinge to the herbage affected by them. These rings increase in size annually, and thus they vary considerably in circumference. This is a prosaic but truthful explanation of the phenomenon which so often attracts the attention of children and puzzles the heads of older persons.”[43]
[43] ‘Daily Telegraph.’
In cases of poisoning by fungi, vomiting should be immediately induced by an emetic and tickling the fauces with the finger or a feather; after which a purgative clyster or a strong cathartic should be administered, with 1⁄2 to 1 fl. dr. of ether in a glassful of water or weak brandy. As an antidote, a solution of
tannin, 1⁄2 dr., in water, 11⁄2 pint, or a decoction of 1⁄2 oz. of powdered galls, or of 1 oz. of powdered cinchona bark, in a like quantity of water, has been strongly recommended by M. Chansarel.
Alexis Soyer recommended the excellent method of cooking mushrooms by baking them under a glass or basin on toast, along with scalded or clotted cream, or a little melted butter, with one clove, and salt, pepper, &c., to taste. They take about 1⁄4 of an hour in a gentle oven or before the fire. When they are taken up, do not remove the glass for a few minutes, by which time the vapour will have become condensed and gone into the bread; but when it is, the aroma, which is the essence of the mushroom, is so powerful as to pervade the whole apartment.
MUSK. Syn. Moschus (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.), L. “A secretion deposited in a follicle of the prepuce of Moschus moschiferus, Linn.” (Ph. L.), an animal inhabiting the mountains of Eastern Asia. It is imported from Bengal, China, and Russia; and, latterly, from the United States of America. That known as Tonquin musk is the most esteemed for its odour; but that from Russia is the only kind which reaches us in perfect bags, or which has not been tampered with. Pod musk (MOSCHUS IN VESICIS) is the bag in its natural state, containing the musk. The average weight of one of the pods is about 6 dr.; that of the grain musk which it contains, about 21⁄2 dr.
Pur, &c. The musk of the shops is generally adulterated. Dried bullock’s blood or chocolate is commonly employed for this purpose, along with a little bone-black. The extent of these additions varies from 25% to 75% of the gross weight of the mixture. The blood is dried by the heat of steam or a water bath, then reduced to coarse powder, and triturated with the genuine musk in a mortar along with a few drops of liquid of ammonia. It is then either replaced in the empty pods, or it is put into bottles, and sold as grain musk. There are only three certain ways of detecting this fraud, viz.—by the inferiority of the odour, by an assay for the iron contained in the blood, or—by the microscope. Genuine musk often becomes nearly inodorous by keeping, but recovers its smell on being exposed to the vapour of ammonia, or by being moistened with ammonia water. The perfumers sometimes expose it to the fetid ammoniacal effluvia of privies for the same purpose.
Pure musk, by trituration or digestion with boiling water, loses about 75% of its weight, and the boiling solution, after precipitation with nitric acid, is nearly colourless. A solution of acetate of lead, and a cold decoction of galls, also precipitate the solution; but one of corrosive sublimate does not disturb it. The ashes left after the incineration of pure musk are neither red nor yellow, but grey, and should not exceed 5 to 6%. The Chinese appear
to be the most skilful and successful adulterators of musk. One of the best solvents for musk is ether.