Dear Prasant Ji, Mushrooms are one of the enigmas of the living world. This particular group of fungi has been of great human importance since time immortal. Some of mushrooms like Truffles are considered as one most priced food around the world along with high medicinal values. There are very few diseases in medical science where mushroom have not contributed medicinally even when it comes to most dreaded disease like cancer.
While considering the positive uses of the mushroom the negative side can’t be left alone. A group of organism which take a considerable number of lives each year around the world, known to possess several highly toxic chemicals which will make you lifeless within minutes of consumption. This will obviously make you feel that they not an entity to fool around with. Mushroom hunting is one of the favourite hobbies in the western countries but not so popular India still we see tribals and ethnic tribes around India practise the same. Mushroom hunting is not just for fun but people consume them as wild mushroom tastes much better than the cultivated varieties in any aspect. As you said this is really a risk if you are not expert in the field because one wrong step may lead you the hospital bed in no time. Hence it’s a great gesture to appreciate and cherish their beauties aesthetically rather than gastronomically. You will be delighted to know that one of the well known political assignations of Julius Caesar was carried out by Brutus using a toxic species of *Amanita*. Caesar was very fond of an edible species of Amanita known as *Amanita caesarea* Brutus laced his food with the toxic variety of the genus which directly sent him to Pluto (roman god of death). Regards Tanay ======================================================================================================== On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 11:02 PM, Prashant awale <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks Tanay for sharing this info. > I was once told by one of my friend that while on nature trail, to be on > the safer side consider every Mushroom as Poisonous. I think he was right. > regards > Prashant > > > On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 10:07 AM, tanay bose <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Dear All Members, >> >> Couple of days back Yazdy Ji posted photos of a wild mushroom growing in >> his region which he informed us of being consumed by the locals villagers >> collecting them from the wilderness. This particular topic leads us (me, >> Pankaj Oudhia Ji and Nalini Ji) to discussion of poisonous mushroom and in >> that same thread it wrote a couple of paragraph regarding the heavy metal >> accumulation by mushrooms and mycelial fungi, is response to Nalini Ji’s >> comment “*Mushrooms, especially wild growing store Caesium-137 and >> Strontium and therefore only cultivated mushrooms were recommended to be >> used in the kitchen, after the Tschernobyl accident. We were warned not to >> eat the very good and popular mushroom Pfifferling (Cantharellus cibarius) >> from Bavaria or Ukraine, because of the fallout there*.” >> >> >> >> Today in the morning while I was going through “Hindustan Times” Kolkata >> Edition newspaper I came across a report where it was depicted that in the >> Yunnan province of China mysterious death of people is occurring for last >> 30-35 years. This particular province of China is known for supplying of >> large varieties of wild mushroom collected by traditional mushroom hunters >> who are well experienced while differentiating between edible and toxic >> varieties of mushrooms. Researches conducted regarding the mystery death >> lead scientists discover that killer. This killer is no one else but a >> mushroom known as *Trogia sp* it is found growing wild in that region and >> has no market value hence are solely consumed by the local people. The >> research deciphered that the mysterious death of the people by >> cardio-vascular failure is due to consumption of this particular mushroom >> which has been found to accumulate high concentrations of Barium which >> induces malfunctioning of heart muscles and nervous system of the consumer. >> >> Hopefully our discussion got more acceleration due to this new finding. >> Kindly refer to the links below more details. >> >> >> >> *Yazdy Ji’s Post:* >> http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/ad2447327af482e7/67bf1389cb4e6331?hl=en#67bf1389cb4e6331 >> >> * * >> >> *Information about Trogia sp* >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogia >> >> >> >> *Reports:* >> >> Telegraph (UK): >> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7889001/Tiny-mushrooms-blamed-for-hundreds-of-deaths-in-China.html >> >> >> >> Washington Post: >> >> >> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071302551.html >> >> >> >> *Kindly use Google search for more news reports.* >> >> >> >> *Attaching the scan of the article came out in Hindustan Times Kolkata >> Edition (dated 17th July 2010).* >> >> * * >> >> Regards >> >> Tanay >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Tanay Bose >> +91(033) 25550676 (Resi) >> 9830439691(Mobile) >> >> >> > -- Tanay Bose +91(033) 25550676 (Resi) 9830439691(Mobile)
