I was inspired by some mushroom uploads of the last week, so I decided to show you two of my Amanita muscaria (AM) photos. The cheapest drug of abuse, fly agaric contains muscimol and similar substances as main poison and only very low amounts of muscarine. This mushroom is a mind modifier, can also cause hallucinations. The panther cap (A. pantherina) causes similar symptoms. Extracts of the fly agaric were used at a time to kill flies or at least make them dizzy and easy to catch (musca (lat.) = fly). You can find a more detailed description of poisoning below the asterisks, but it may be skipped. "Fairy rings" were believed to be magic in origin. Now it is known that "mushrooms" are no separate specimens; mycelia under the soil can form fruit bodies (mushrooms) when they feel like it, and the latter produce spores. Provided that mycelia, coming from the center of the ring develop radially and they produce fruit bodies roughly at the same time, a fairy ring will be formed. All the fruit bodies of the ring (together with the mycelia) most probably belong to one specimen. ************************* Although muscarine has been isolated from AM and owe its name to this mushroom (probably hundreds of kilograms of AM have been used up for chemical isolation), the poisoning this mushroom causes is not of the muscarine type (because of the low amuunt, see above). Symptoms caused by muscarine (flow of saliva, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) may be present but are not the main feature of the poisoning. (Typical muscarine poisoning can be caused by small whitish funnel mushrooms = Clitocybe genus.) Symptoms of AM (and of panther cap) poisoning: Drunkenness-like, exstatic state, maybe a drive to move, dance etc., uncontrolled behaviour, excitation, sometimes hallucinations or at least altered perception. In serious cases epilepsy-like convulsions may appear. Body temperature may rise due to enhanced heat production (this cannot be called fever). Later on, deep sleep. A few caps can evoke these symptoms. Drying does not destroy the poisons of AM. Poisoning is rarely fatal, even if the patient receives no medical treatment. Mechanism: muscimol excites some of the receptors for the inhibitory brain neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). AM and panther cap also contain other poisons (e.g., ibotenic acid). Some state that atropine-like substances are also present in AM, but there is no real evidence for this. There is no specific drug treatment for AM poisoning. Vital functions are supported and the patient hopefully "sleeps it out".