The unnatural history of the fly agaric

Abstract

Amanita muscaria has had a reputation for killing flies at least as far back as the De Vegetalibus of Albertus Magnus in the 13th century. first published account of the effects of Amanita muscaria on man was made by von Strahlenburg (1730), a Swedish colonel who spent 12 years in Siberia as a prisoner of war. The Russians who trade with them (Koryak), carry thither a Kind of Mushrooms, called in the Russian tongue, Muchumur, which they exchange for Squirrels, Fox, Hermin, Sable and other Furs: Those who are rich among them, lay up large Provisions of these Mushrooms, for the Winter. When they make a Feast, they pour Water upon some of these Mushrooms and boil them. They then drink the Liquor, which intoxicates them: poorer Sort, on these Occasions, post themselves round the Huts of the Rich, and watch the Opportunity of the Guests coming down to make Water; And then hold a Wooden Bowl to receive the Urine, which they drink off greedily, as having still some Virtue of the Mushroom in it, and by this Way they also get Drunk. A fuller description came from a Russian traveller, Krasheninnikov (1755): Sometimes for their enjoyment they also use the mukhumor, the well known mushroom that we ordinarily use for poisoning flies. It is first soaked in must ofkiprei (Epilobium angustifolium) which they drink, or else the dried mushrooms are rolled and swallowed whole, which method is very popular. first and usual sign by which one can recognize of man under the influence of the mukhumor is the shaking of the extremities which will follow after an hour or less after which the persons thus intoxicated have hallucinations, as if in a fever: they are subject to various visions, terrifying or felicitous, depending on differences in temperament: owing to which some jump, some dance, others cry and suffer great terrors, while some might deem a small crack to be as wide as a door, and a tub of water as deep as the sea. But this applies only to those who overindulge, while those who use a small quantity experience a feeling of extraordinary lightness, joy, courage, and a sense of energetic wellbeing.