Dioscorides gives the following characters of poisonous fungi: Such as grow near rusty nails, or putrid rags of cloth, or near the lodging-place of reptiles, or by trees which have bad fruits, are deleterious; such have a glutinous coagulum (membrane adhering to the cap?) and when gathered soon become putrid and melt away. (M. M. iv, 83). According to Sprengel, these characters are not universally applicable (l. c.); but considering the experience which the ancients had in the use of these articles, they are no doubt generally so. The _amanita muscaria_, the _agaricus necator_, and many other species, may be set down as belonging to the ancient list of poisonous mushrooms.—Schulze, who appears to have paid great attention to the subject, enumerates the poisonous mushrooms of the ancients as follows:—1, Agaricus muscarius; 2, Agaricus piperatus; 3, Agaricus emeticus; 4, Boletus versicolor; 5, Boletus laricis. (Toxic. Vet. xiii, 5.) SECT. LV.—ON BULLS’ BLOOD. The blood of a newly-killed bull brings on dyspnœa and suffocation, obstructing the passages about the tonsils and the parts concerned in deglutition with violent spasms; the tongue, in such cases, is also found red; the teeth are stained, and there are clots between them. In this case we must avoid giving a vomit, because the grumous blood will be more firmly fastened in the stomach by being raised upwards with the contractions. We must give those things which are calculated to dissolve the coagulated blood and loosen the belly; green figs, therefore, are to be administered when filled with juice, along with oxycrate and natron. All kinds of rennet are also proper with vinegar, and the root of laserwort, with its juice in like manner; also cabbage seed, the lye of figs, and the leaves of fleabane with pepper, and the juice of bramble with vinegar. The bowels are also to be evacuated. Those who are going to recover have fetid and bloody discharges by the anus. Cataplasms, made of barley-flour with honey, are also to be applied to the regions of the stomach and bowels. * * * * * COMMENTARY. Bulls’ blood being exceedingly viscid and indigestible might prove deleterious by becoming quickly coagulated in the stomach: we do not find any mention of it, however, in modern works on toxicology. Themistocles is said to have despatched himself with it. Nicander makes no mention of emetics, and Dioscorides, like our author, condemns the use of them. Nicander recommends almost the same identical remedies as our author. It will be remarked that they are all of a penetrating, attenuant, and solvent nature, such as wild figs, natron, laserwort, the rennets of certain animals, &c. Galen mentions the pernicious effects of coagulated blood in the stomach, and recommends hot vinegar for it. (De Al. boni et mali succi.) Ruffus (ap. Oribas. Med. Collect. viii, 24) recommends clysters composed of natron, vinegar, the decoction of cabbage, and of its seed, with vinegar.