Subject: Morels make me sick, why???

From: [email-masked] (Doug English)
Date: 5 Jun 1996 16:16:01 GMT

Hi,

        There must be some subscribers to this group who live up north and 
hunt mushrooms this time of year.  Twice this year I've had fresh morels from 
the local woods and both times I became violently ill.  4-6 hours after 
ingestion I started a slight fever and completely purged my digestive system, 
vomiting and diarrhea, and was unable to keep even water down.  Obviously this 
is either an allergic reaction or food poisioning.  I have eaten morels many 
times in the past and never had any problem.  The only difference is in the 
past I had soaked the mushrooms in salt water to kill the little critters and 
get the sand and dirt out.  Is this a crucial step in de-toxifying these 
fungi?  I know of at least one store in Minneapolis that sells fresh morels 
and they don't seem to specify any prep procedures and I have even heard of 
people eating them raw.  What gives? Have I developed some allergy to this 
particular mushroom?   One other thing,  I have actually read on 
one occasion that some people react badly to these mushrooms.  Any ideas out 
there?

Thanks,
 Doug

---

From: [email-masked] (Mycos)
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 1996 16:05:22 GMT

> Doug

I'm glad you brought up the subject. I know it goes against popular
wisdom but I suspect "something gives" with morels. Both my stepfather
and a lab instructer I know get very ill when they eat morels .
Niether gets sick from any other kind of edible wild mushroom . This
can't just be "chance". Especially now with your report I'm more than
ever convinced that there is something specific about them that causes
this. As well. my stepdad says he used to eat them all time until this
happened. I think this deserves a closer look.

---

From: Dave Jefferies <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 22:07:23 +0100

In article <[email-masked]>, Doug English
<[email-masked]> writes
>the local woods and both times I became violently ill.  4-6 hours after 
I have just been looking at "Wild Mushroom and Toadstool Poisoning"
(Oldridge, Pegler & Spooner) produced by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.
There is an entry in there about morels:

"Species containing gyromitrin
Gyromitra esculenta <my note: this is the false morel>
....
Morchella species (Morels)
... young morels are edible and good when cooked but over-mature and old
specimens can be harmful."

The book is well worth a read. Obviously concentratinng on British
species but most of these occur in Europe and many in N. America, and if
not closely related species may be found. Nice descriptions of poisons
and a useful key for the identification of fungal poison. No mycophagist
should be without one!

Have fun and remember if you are not absolutely sure what the
fungus/plant/whatever is then it is not safe to eat.

Dave
----------------------------------------------------------
{ Dave Jefferies, Sheffield, UK   |  Half of being smart }
{ [email-masked]  (Home)  |  is knowing what you }
{ [email-masked] (Work)  |  are dumb at.        }