Mushroom Poisoning
They grow best when the weather is warm and humid. Then people, having foraged for mushrooms, return from their foray in the forests with baskets full of different kinds of fungi. This is a pastime that involves a certain risk and yet among the 5000 varieties of fungi that exist in central Europe only a relatively small number – about 150 types – are toxic.
Mushroom poisoning is usually the result of consuming wild mushrooms after having misidentified a toxic mushroom as belonging to an edible species. The most common reason for this misidentification is the close resemblance in colour and general appearance of the toadstool to the edible species. Even very experienced wild mushroom gatherers are sometimes poisoned by eating the toxic variety, in spite of being well aware of the risks.
The most critical fact is, that there is sometimes a long period of time between the intake of a meal containing fungi and the first appearance of symptoms. Especially after enjoying the most dangerous sorts of toadstool, there can be an interval of several days before symptoms occur. Then the toxin is already in the blood circulation and it is much too late to remove the fungi from the stomach.
Symptoms of Poisoning
One of these symptoms by itself can indicate food-poisoning due to fungi: stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness or attacks of sweating. After a meal containing samples of Panther cap (Amanita pantherina) or Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) symptoms start after a short interval. If the dreaded Death cap (Amanita phalloides) was consumed, it takes eight to twenty-four hours before severe attacks of vomiting and diarrhoea begin. These attacks vanish one or two days later only to return on the third day when internal organs have already been damaged, starting with the liver. The toxin of this mushroom inhibits the metabolism within the cells and, as the performance of the liver is very rapid, these are the cells that are mainly disturbed by the toxins.
The Death cap belongs to the same botanical group as its brown variant Amanita pantherina that is less toxic. These days, about eighty percent of those poisoned by Amanita phalloides survive, whereas a hundred years ago only half as many people could have been saved. This development is due to an improvement in intensive care medicine and treatment involving the substance silibilin. This was identified from the plant Silybum marianum, in traditional medicine known as the Blessed or Holy milk thistle.
Jane Funke und Hannelore Gießen
Diesen Artikel finden Sie in DAS PTA MAGAZIN 09/2008 auf Seite 50 f. oder als PDF-Download im Kasten oben rechts.
