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Marilyn ShawFeb 26th, 2008 - 15:03:30
Well, you have certainly gotten my blood pressure up, and so early in the morning, too.
With reference to the few statements about Amanita phalloides: it grows not only in Europe, but is quite common in many parts of the U.S., including the Bay Area in California.
While it's true that there is no 'antidote', supportive care is very effective, provided it is started within the first 36 hours after ingestion, and usually reduces the mortality rate from 50% to approximately 10%.
While it is popularly believed that the emperor Claudius was murdered by being served deadly amanita mushrooms, a closer examination of the evidence makes that doubtful. One theory blames an error in translation, that 'poisoned mushrooms' was translated as 'poison mushrooms'. In addition, the period of time between ingestion of the mushrooms and his death was too short (within less than 24 hours) for the mushroom toxin to have killed him. But, in view of the general mycophobic attitude of a large part of the U.S. public it does make for a good story, evidenced by your giving a poisonous mushroom top billing.
It is a blatent misstatement to say there is no known cure for Death Cap mushrooms. Success has been documented by Dr. Tod Mitchell of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Ca. His report to NIH is thorough and should be convincing if the U.S. medical establishment would ever rethink its position on the use of foreign medicines. They call any positive evidence merely anecdotal and point to the experience USA had with Thalidomide. Check the Santa Cruz newspapers for Jan 1- 15, 2007 for details.
USA
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