Woman Killed By Mushrooms Picked In Garden

[Still Waters]

A woman died after she ate one of the world's most poisonous mushrooms that she unwittingly picked from her garden in Somerset, an inquest has heard.

Christina Hale died from multiple organ failure five days after using death caps while cooking her and her husband an evening meal.

The death cap is so poisonous that eating just half of one can be fatal and there is no antidote.

http://uk.news.yahoo...54.html#R9TJAoh

[freetoroam]

tut tut. Mushrooms are dodgy. My husband has enough books on them (yeah i know, yawn, but its saved my life) there are basically 3 types, those you can eat, those which will make you ill, and those which will kill you.

As for the deathcap, YOU WILL DIE and a very horrible death it is (Rogers Mushrooms tells you all) you do not even need half of one.

Hope the would be poisoners are not reading this. (but it is detectable)

Edited May 10, 2013 by freetoroam

[Mr.United_Nations]

If you don't know your mushrooms they dont pick one that you dont know

[Michelle]

How horrible!

I have many books, written by Native Americans, on how to live off the land. They tell what is edible, medicinal and what is poisonous. There are special books related only to mushrooms. If I'm not absolutely sure which are edible I don't risk it. Colorblindness plays a huge part of that on my part.

People in the South love polk salad. It grows wild, but it is poisonous if it isn't picked at the right time and isn't cooked in the correct manner. I'm not particularly fond of it so I haven't bothered to keep that useless piece of information in my head, but I will keep the information handy in case of some sort of disaster and we are strapped for food.

[zebra99]

Mother nature usually has reasons to make things toxic.Many leaves contain high levels of cyanide as a defence against browsing grubs and caterpillars.

Does anyone know what reason certain fungi have such formidable toxins.I've seen many myself and often they are riddled with grubs which seem to be unaffected.

With no antidote no wonder they were the favourite of power hungry Romans to remove the opposition.

[freetoroam]

If it were not for all the deaths (accidentally) from people trying out mushrooms in the past, we would not have so many books available to tell us what to be aware of today, shame more do not read them. There are many plants out there which are not too easy on the stomach either, but we have a couple of vegan friends who pick their bits from the wild and they are pretty clued up.

My husband is currently brewing nettle beer thanks to their help, cos they stink bad.(the nettles, not the vegans)

[Mabon]

I love books on knowing and using wild plants but mushrooms are something I stay well away from because I'd rather have someone teach me which ones are safe than learn the hard way.

Mabon.

[little_dreamer]

Yes, it could be easy to mis-identify. I like mushrooms but won't eat ones in the wild.

http://www.gazettenet.com/search/3213821-95/lopes-mushroom-urbain-tirdea

Edited May 10, 2013 by little_dreamer

[Simbi Laveau]

That is so sad. I know what many medicinal mushrooms look like etc,but I am actually not versed in dangerous mushrooms.

Guess I should study up