AGARICUS STERCORARIUS.
Authority.
Thos. Stevenson, M.D., Guy’s Hosp. Reports, vol.
xix, p. 418, R. M., æt. thirty-nine years, ate about a pint stewed with bacon.►
In half an hour he complained of nausea, some oppression
in his breathing, and of severe pain across the forehead, with giddiness. His wife now
noticed a strangeness in his appearance, and that in attempting to walk he kept his eyes
fixed on the ground and guided himself with difficulty. He was, however, quite conscious of
everything, and opened a book to see if he could read, but found that he was unable to make
out any of the letters. When out of doors he continued to suffer severely from the pain
across the forehead, with giddiness, and in addition, experienced a feeling as if something
was continually over his head, or as if passing “through an arcade.” He also
staggered much. About 11 P.M., after more than three hours, Mr. Hicks was called to see him.
He found him sitting down in a semistate of stupor, with pupils dilated and inactive, and
the pulse slow and feeble, from 55 to 60. On being roused and made to get up he looked
completely bewildered, staggered as if tipsy, and said he could not recognize the things in
the room, nor the room itself as that which he usually occupied. He now became more
restless, threw his arms about, and seemed anxious to be continually moving from place to
place. He also appeared to be somewhat convulsed, with twitching of the muscles of the face
and complained of prickings in his hands, and of a feeling as if they were swelling. He
suddenly became more excited, and rushed wildly out of the house into the street. He was
found in a neighbor’s house, considerably prostrated after his exertions, and in a very
lethargic state. Twenty grains of Sulphate of zinc were now administered, and in a short
time vomiting ensued, much dark fluid with numerous pieces of fungi being brought up. For a
short time afterwards he expressed himself as feeling better, and was allowed to be taken to
the door of the cottage. Almost immediately afterwards, as if moved by a sudden impulse, he
again rushed wildly out, but after going a short distance stopped suddenly, as if
bewildered. Emetics were again administered and the stomach-pump used, and in the course of
a few hours he gradually recovered, though feeling much prostrated. He said that during the
whole time he was quite conscious of what was being done, but that at times he felt drowsy
and inclined to sleep. When the convulsive paroxysms came on he felt wild and excited, with
an irresistible desire to move about and to run. He had no pain in the stomach or bowels at
any time, nor did the feeling of oppression in his breathing continue after the first
symptoms.® 2000
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