Russula

fœtens. N. O. Fungi. Tincture of the fresh mushrooms.

Clinical

Blindness / Chorea / Convulsions / Enuresis

Characteristics

Some species of Russula are edible, and are much esteemed as a food on the Continent. Alphonse Barrelet observed the effects of eating cooked Russula fœtens, which produced a very severe poisoning. Hallucinations, muscular tremors, and clonic spasms recall the effects of Agaric. The eye symptoms were even more pronounced, complete blindness lasting many days occurred, with this peculiarity of the pupil, that it was sometimes normal, sometimes dilated, and sometimes contracted.

1. Mind

Unconsciousness. Muscular spasms, deathly anxiety, dyspnœa. Hallucinations constant for three days after spasms ceased.

3. Eyes

Pupils at one time normal, at another: dilated, at another contracted. Consciousness returned on third day, patient could hear but was completely blind.

6. Face

Cyanosis.

11, 12, 13. Stomach, Abdomen, and Stool. . Nausea, colic, vomiting, diarrhœa, cold extremities.

14. Urinary Organs

Involuntary micturition.

17. Respiratory Organs

Dyspnœa.

19. Heart

Pulse small and contracted.

24. Generalities

Constant trembling of muscles, at times interrupted by tonic contractions, increasing to general clonic spasms with complete loss of consciousness. Patient recovered after two or three weeks.

25. Skin

The attack was followed by pseudo-erysipelas on elbows and painless furuncles over whole body, esp. on scapulæ and small of back.