Psilocybian Mycetismus with Special Reference to Panaeolus
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- Psilocybian Mycetismus With Special Reference To Panaeolus STEVEN HAYDEN POLLOCK, M.D., M.S.* A SEQUENCE OF got back home he found his wife dancing "PECULIAR" CASES around stark naked, playing an imaginary shamisen, and laughing raucously. Even as he Mushroom intoxications have been noted through- stood there amazed at all the uproar he found out history. One 11th Century episode in Japan that he too was falling into the same crazed allegedly involved some Buddhist nuns who became lost state. The older brother also eventually began to in the forest. After eating some wild mushrooms, they dance crazily. The intoxication of Taniguchi's felt compelled to dance. Some woodcutters who were mother was weaker, however, and though she also lost happened along, indulged in the peculiar fungus became muddled she never lost complete and joined the nuns in dancing. This tale has been control of her senses. She did, however, keep handed down in the Konjaku Monogatari ("Tales of repeating the same words over and over and Long Ago") and the legendary toadstools became known went to every house in the neighborhood first as dancing mushrooms (maitake) and later as apologizing throughout the night for "preparing such a poor meal" and thanking everyone "for laughing mushrooms (waraitake) (Sanford 1972; Wasson putting up with it." 1973). While the identity of the causative fungus is unknown, Panaeolus papilionaceus (Fries) Quelet has Dr. Seichii was "able to obtain samples of the been suggested as one possible candidate (Sanford 1972; mushrooms involved and solidly identify them as none Wasson 1973). Sanford (1972) notes that Seichii in his other than Panaeolus papilionaceus" (Sanford 1972). Genshoku Nihon kinrui zukan (lcones of Japanese In 1816 a poor man gathered what he believed to be Fungi) quotes a 1917 episode from a newspaper article: common ordinary meadow mushrooms in Hyde Park, London. Soon after commencement of his stewed Mr. Taniguchi (age 31), Mrs. Taniguchi [age mushroom meal, "he was, to use his own expressions 35], and Mrs. Taniguchi's brother, Buntsuke (age 41), treated themselves to two bowls of suddenly seized with a dimness or mist before his eyes, mushroom soup while the elder Mrs. Taniguchi lightness and giddiness of his head, with general (age 71) ate one bowl with only two or three trembling and sudden loss of power,-so much so, that mushrooms in it. They had hardly eaten when he nearly fell off the chair; to this succeeded, loss of first Mrs. Taniguchi and then Mr. Taniguchi recollection; he forgot where he was, and all the began to feel odd. Mr. Taniguchi then went next circumstances of his case." Later it was observed that door to ask someone to fetch a doctor. When he the patient "suffered much from giddiness, and was greatly inclined to sleep; his pulse was slow and feeble." The mushrooms were identified as Agaricus campanu- *Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San latus Linnaeus, the cause of a similar case that had been Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78284. reported in the September 1815 issue of Gentleman's Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 43 Vol. 8 (No.1) j an-Mar, 1976 POLLOCK PSILOCYBIAN MYCETISMUS Magazine (Glen 1816). A. campanulatus later became Eidetic imagery was very prominent as the known as Panaeolus campanulatus (Fries ex Linnaeus) faces appeared in all sorts of bright and even Quelet and its reputation of possessing sedative intense colors - so intense that I could only properties persisted into the 20th Century (McIlvaine liken them to flames of fire, in red, purple, 1973). Thus Krieger (1911) suspected this species to green and yellow colors, like fireworks. have caused an intoxication following ingestion of what Macropsia was also evident as Mr.W. felt his body the victim presumed were shaggy manes (Coprinus "elongate upward to the ceiling .. .like Jack's bean- comatus). Panaeolus papilionaceus, in contrast, had stalk. .." Soon he experienced his body collapse to its gained quite a different reputation in North America natural height. "The entire experience lasted six hours. (McIlvaine 1973): No ill effects followed" (Verrill 1914). I have seen it produce hilarity in a few instances, and other mild symptoms of intoxica- In 1916, a Panae olus species appeared In a New tion, which were soon over, and with little York mushroom house and surprisingly was consumed reaction. But I have seen, at table, the same unnoticed amongst commercial Agaricus. Murrill (1916), effects from eating preserved peaches and believing this "dangerous" mushroom to be a new preserved plums which had fermented. Many species, designated it P. venenosus Murrill. Shortly personal testings have been without effect. thereafter, Douglass (1917), a surgeon, described the Testings upon others vary with the individuals. experience resulting after his maid, wife, and he himself The fungus seems to contain a mild stimulant. It is not dangerous, but should be eaten with had eaten some Panaeolus (later determined by Murrill caution. Being of small size, and not a prolific to be P. semiglobatus Murrill nomen nudum) gathered in species, quantities of it are difficult to obtain. a cucumber bed in Maine. Despite the fact that Douglass Moderate quantities of it have no effect attempted management with intravenous morphine and whatever. atropine, he later concluded that the "pilzatropin" contained in Panaeolus companulatus, rettrugis, semi- In 1914, a classic case of psilocybian mycetismus globatus, and venenosus produced symptoms that were occurred in Maine after Mr. W., a middle-aged avid "purely those of a stimulated nervous system" and could mycophile, "strictly temperate in his habits," and his not "conceive that a full meal of these mushrooms could adult niece consumed mushrooms (perhaps a pound cause death" (Douglass 1917). Without citing any fresh weight) fried in butter and which he had identified specific cases and apparently unaware of the mushroom as the butterfly Panae olus, i.e., P. papilionaceus (Verrill poisoning classification proposed by Douglass, Ford 1914). (1973) coined the categorical term "Mycetismus Next, say about half an hour after eating, Cerebralis" for this "peculiar poisoning" and mentioned both of us had an irresistible impulse to run and P. campanulatus and P. papilionaceus as being jump, which we did freely. Soon both of us responsible. became very hilarious, with an irresistible Reports of accidental Panaeolus poisonings have not impulse to laugh and joke immoderately, and almost hysterically at times. The laughing could been limited to Europe and the U.S. In the early 1940's be controlled only with great difficulty; at the a rash of such intoxications occurred in Australia. same time we were indulging extravagantly in Panaeolus ovatus Cooke & Massee became known as the joking and what seemed to us funny or witty "hysteria fungus" since patients were sometimes remarks. Mr. Y., who was with us, said that admitted to the hospital after beginning "to feel some of the jokes were successful; others not so, numbness in arms and legs, to see coloured lights and to but I can not remember what they were about. become almost hysterical" (Trotter 1944). One patient was quoted as having felt as if he "had been on a Later during the experience Mr.W. bender." Treatment generally consisted of administra- had a very disagreeable illusion. Innumberable tion of an emetic such as zinc sulfate and hospitalization human faces, of all sorts and sizes, but all was for never more than overnight. hideous, seemed to fill the room and to extend In 1957, between a half and one hour after enjoying off in multitudes to interminable distances, some little dung-inhabiting mushrooms, a victim of while many were close to me on all sides. They were grimacing rapidly and horrible and mushroom poisoning in Bremen, Germany began to undergoing contortions, all the time growing notice "glimmers" before his eyes. Three attempts at more and more hideous. Some were upside vomiting were unsuccessful and he felt weak with down. occasional shortness of breath. He was hospitalized and Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 44 Vol. 8 (No.1) jan-Mar, 1976 - POLLOCK PSILOCYBIAN MYCETISMUS given charcoal in four glasses of water and an injection (Wier & Tyler 1963; Tyler & Smith 1963). Later studies of apomorphine to induce vomiting.He received gastric with Argentinian specimens of P. sphinctrinus also lavage and intravenous fluids. After a two day stay, all revealed the presence of serotonin but no 4- was in order. The fungus responsible was identified hydroxytryptamine derivatives (Tyler & Groger 1964). afterwards as P. papilionaceus (Bull. ex Fr.) Quele t (von One point was clear - Panaeolus sphinctrinus was Neuhoff 1958). certainly a "rnystifier." In August, 1965, an important case was document- Ola'h (1970) thus undertook a systematic study of ed from the French Mediterranean (Heirn , Hoffman & the genus Panaeolus, chemically analyzing various Tscherter 1966). It involved a woman and her two samples which consisted of: a) wild carpophores, children (ages 11 and 14). After unsuspectingly eating a mycelia and carpophores obtained in culture; b) wild meal of Panaeolus cyanescens (Berkeley & Broome) carpophores and mycelia; c) mycelia and carpophores Saccardo, the mother experienced terrifying hallucina- obtained in culture; or d) mycelia only. This investigator tions and was treated with gastric lavage and sedatives. assayed twenty-three samples of P. sphinctrinus twenty While the elder child experienced visual echo patterns of which were from Quebec and one of which was the and was incapable of raising himself from an armchair, RPI strain, revived from spore after seven years. Thirteen the younger convulsed and lost consciousness, thus samples, including mycelia of the RPI strain, were found exhibiting "an extreme neurophysiologic manifestation to contain psilocin and seven of these also contained of the cerebral excitation syndrome" (Pollock 1974).