Other - Concern when saw Amanita Genus on this Forum

[BPII]

While SWIM admits that during a previous "opportunity" to shroom, SWIM got a bit concerned because SWIM was a "Shroom Virgin" whose opportunity occured with some Gold Medalist SWIMMERS. SWIM gave half his dose to another "Shroom Virgin" not only to share the wealth, but also out of precaution. SWIM's personal experience was nothing I had no effects whatso ever and was really disappointed, however, SWIM would later notice that SWIM's friend had not only been smiling for almost an hour, but also would later explain that the Sun in the poster in the wall was smiling and waving to him so he was smiling back and communicating via telepathy. SWIM laughed his gluteus maximus off at the Gold and Silver medalists and later resorted to a bit of the white powder which provided all the fun needed along with some good ol' fashioned high quality mass consumption of Hops and Yeast fermented Ethanol. Now while SWIM wanted to clarify SWIM's Fungal prestige, SWIM also has a degree Pre-Med with Biological Emphasis. SWIM had a professor who I would later find out was a major cool dude and a bit of a SWIMMER himself. SWIM had this professor for a class in which we basically looked at classification of about every major taxa (grouping) of living things including not only their distinguishing and interesting facts, but SWIM's professor also would from time to time add in a bit of economic, medicinal, and yes recreational use some of the organisms of the Plant and Fungi Kingdoms. SWIM has yet to have found any other Kingdom (Archeabacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Anamailia) that could be used for the interest of other SWIMMERS, but, EUREKA!!!! I shall now explain why this forum grabbed my attention.

During, the semester and lessons, which correlate to this post, SWIM's professor mentioned both Psilocybe as being the SPECIFIC genus and species that was used for "recreation." While at the time SWIM wondered why SWIM's professor would not only mention which specific shroom was used for this purpose, but also was a bit intrigued that SWIM's professor also mentioned where and when to specifically find this mushroom. SWIM would later (but was oh so wrong) think after analysis that his prof had educated them in this manner because he would also mention the lasting negative effects of using shrooms (basically your ingesting a toxin that kills neurons (brain and nerve cells) and the trip your getting is basically and hypothetically their way of saying goodbye) but also because at the time SWIM thought maybe he mentioned they grew in cow dung at certain times because of later expressing how complex mushroom identification truly is and didn't want us to mistake this specific mushroom as being as good as any old mushroom and basically die.

Which brings SWIM to the orginal reason for posting and title of SWIM's topic. SWIM's professor also mentioned specifically Amanita mushrooms because of their popularity (look at Mario, when he eats them he gets bigger for example) in culture but also warned of its extremely deadly toxins. SWIM's professor would also add a common bit of history of early settlers in the US. Apparently, because food was scarce, in the early days, settlers often made amends by eating some "not so" common foods that we would today find odd. Among these foods, a common but scarce luxury was that of "TURTLE SOUP." The turtle that was often used in these soups was the common Box Turtle. Surely, all SWIMMERS have seen and can relate to what the common box turtle looks like but if not um......GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH. Well, while often this meal was fine and a luxury, occasionally their would be some really odd results. Basically, some people after eating the soup would become deathly ill, nauseated, hallucinate, and possibly die. While no one at the time knew why, years later, the mystery would be solved. Apparently, Mr. & Mrs. Box Turtle, if given the opportunity, will feast on a patch of Aminita, like a slow motion shark feeding freenzy. Basically, what was happening, and SWIM now supposes possibly as a weird twist in animal adaptation and evolution, Box Turtles perhaps eat these mushrooms as a defense to other animals. SWIM had many box turtles as pets as a child, and never imagined what quite experienced of this little guy was at eating shrooms. Apparently, the box turtle is immune to the toxins in Aminita and stores it in its tissues. So, apparently those settlers who got turtles who'd been out grazing the Aminita patch were getting the side effects from this because while cooking, boiling, etc. your food will kill parasites, it does nothing to destroy toxins. SWIM, would like to add that another example of this is rare but sometimes does occur in canned foods. HOLD YOUR HORSES, SWIMMERS of the shroom world, SWIM is not speaking of Aminita in these cans but rather Clostridium botulini, a faculative anaerobic bacterium, which causes Botulism poisoning due to the toxins they generate. On a side note, when I was just checking this source to be accurate SWIM found the following link (http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/dise...tulism_gi.html) which SWIM stresses might be of use to read if other SWIMMERS are members of the jab a vein club of SWIMMING.

In summary, SWIM was just taken back by seeing Aminita was also consumed recreationally by SWIMMERS. Just to make sure SWIM had the Genus right for Psilocybe I also found tons of info on this Genus and perhaps most alarming is the fact that there are 60 species in N. America alone and only 25 are fit for SWIMMERS! SWIM will provide the link but just wanted to share the story. Happy SWIMMING!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe Yea I know it's Wikipedia but it sounds fairly accurate.

Reputation Comments on this post:

well, thats hell of a story :)