Agaricus Stercorarius

▲   GENERAL

General

Authority. Thos. Stevenson, M.D., Guy's Hosp. Reports, vol. xix, p. 418, R. M., aet. 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 Zincum Sulphuricum ^{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.