ose, .0003 in. broad. The plant
is creamy white throughout and does not seem to be easily
distinguishable from the white forms of A. _phalloides_. Fries and some
others consider this species merely a variety of Amanita _phalloides_,
and it is regarded as equally poisonous, the poisonous principle being
the same as that of A. _phalloides_. It is very common in mixed woods
from early spring to frosty weather.

ALKALOIDS OF THE POISONOUS MUSHROOMS.

Schrader, after some experiments made in 1811, stated that the poisonous
principle of the "Fly mushroom," Amanita muscaria, seemed to be combined
with its red coloring matter and might be extracted by water or aqueous
alcohol, but that it was not soluble in ether.

Vaquelin, as the result of more extended investigations made in 1813,
expressed the opinion that this poison was not confined to the coloring
matter of the mushroom, but that it was an integral part of the fatty
constituents not only of _muscaria_ but of several species of mushrooms.
In 1826 and 1830, and again in 1867, important investigations were made
and published by Letellier relating to the medical and poisonous
properties of mushrooms growing around Paris. Letellier's early
investigations led him to the conclusion that there were two poisons
contained in certain fungi--(1) an acrid principle easily destroyed by
drying or boiling or by maceration in alcohol or in alkaline solution,
and (2) a peculiar poisonous alkaloid found only in certain of the
Amanita group. Letellier in 1866 named this latter alkaloid _amanitin_.
He then considered it to be the active poison of Amanita _muscaria_,
Amanita _phalloides_, and Amanita _verna_, but a subsequent analysis by
the German chemists Schmiedeberg and Koppe showed the _amanitin_ of
Letellier to be identical with _cholin_, a substance found in bile.
Kobert says that _amanitin_ is non-poisonous in itself, but states that
it may be changed on decay of the mushroom to the muscarin-like acting
_neurin_, which is highly poisonous. He thinks it highly probable that
nearly all of the edible and non-edible mushrooms contain pure
_amanitin_ (cholin) partly in primitive condition and partly in a more
intricate organic connection, as _lecithin_. It has been demonstrated
that amanitin separates very readily from lecithin during the _decay or
careless drying_ of mushrooms and changes into the _poisonous neurin_;
hence the necessity of using mushrooms only when _perfectly fr