ield an
acrid oil having poisonous properties, and which has even produced
death.

_Symptoms._--Those of irritant poisons. Purging not always present, but
tenesmus and strangury.

_Post-Mortem Appearances._--Acute inflammation of alimentary canal.
Green powder found. This, washed and dried and then rubbed, gives odour
of savin.

_Test._--A watery solution of savin strikes deep green with perchloride
of iron, and if an infusion of the twigs has been taken the twigs may be
detected with the microscope. The twigs obtained from the stomach, dried
and rubbed between the finger and thumb, will give the odour of savin.

=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, diarrhoea, anuria,
convulsions, coma. Small quantities frequently repeated have in the past
produced gangrene of the extremities, or anaesthesia of fingers and toes.

_Tests._--Lake-red colour with liquor potassae; 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 diarrhoea,
mental excitement, followed by delirium, convulsions, coma, slow pulse,
stertorous breathing, cyanosis, cold extremities, and dilated pupils.

_Post-Mortem.