Ergot (Secale Cornutum).—A parasitic fungus attacking wheat, barley, oats, and rye, which is reputed to have the power of causing contraction of unstriped muscular fibre, especially that of the uterus.
Symptoms.—Lassitude, headache, nausea, diarrhœa, anuria, convulsions, coma. Small quantities frequently repeated have in the past produced gangrene of the extremities, or anæsthesia of fingers and toes.
Tests.—Lake-red colour with liquor potassæ; this liquid filtered gives a precipitate of same colour with nitric acid.
XLVII.—POISONOUS FUNGI AND TOXIC FOODS
Fungi.—Of the poisonous mushrooms, the Amanita phalloides and the fly agaric, or Agaricus muscarius, are the most potent. The active principle of the former is phallin, and of the latter muscarine. The Amanita phalloides is distinguished from the common mushroom (Agaricus campestris) by having permanent white gills and a hollow stem. The Agaricus muscarius is bright red with yellow spots. Phallin is a toxalbumin which destroys the red blood-corpuscles, causing the serum to become red in colour and the urine blood-stained. Fibrin is liberated, and thromboses occur, especially in the liver. The symptoms may be mistaken for phosphorus-poisoning or acute yellow atrophy of the liver. Muscarine affects the nervous system chiefly.
Edible fungi have an agreeable taste and smell, and are firm in substance. Poisonous fungi have an offensive smell and bitter taste, are often of a bright colour, and soon become pulpy.
Symptoms.—These may be of the narcotic or irritant types. Usually, however, there is violent colic, with thirst, vomiting, and diarrhœa, mental excitement, followed by delirium, convulsions, coma, slow pulse, stertorous breathing, cyanosis, cold extremities, and dilated pupils.
Post-Mortem.—In phallin-poisoning the blood remains fluid; numerous hæmorrhages are present, with fatty degeneration of the internal organs.
Treatment.—Use the stomach-tube to give a solution of permanganate of potash, emetics, followed by a hypodermic injection of 1/50 grain of atropine. Transfusion of saline fluid. A dose of castor-oil would be useful.