4 ms·

> I found out that of three people admitted in 2006 to Strong Memorial with Amanita poisoning (...) Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year

> I found out that of three people admitted in 2006 to Strong Memorial with Amanita poisoning (...) Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot.

linuskendall 7y ago
Where I am from (Sweden) many, many people make mushroom picking a regular habit. However, most who do are aware of what mushrooms are safe, which ones to take extra care in identifying (definitely all white ones) and which ones to never pick. Wild mushrooms are perfectly safe as long as you have some knowledge about it. We were taught by parents and on school trips.
- eru 7y ago
  Most poisonous mushrooms also don't taste good and make you throw up quickly. (Our bodies have that vomiting mechanism for exactly that reason.) Of course, most doesn't mean all.
- klipt 7y ago
  Provided you don't assume that knowledge that works in Sweden works anywhere else in the world.
  - alkonaut 7y ago
    It doesn't - which is why a lot of people get sick in Sweden every year and it's heavily skewed to people who aren't Swedish. I'm not sure if it's because they lack knowledge entirely, or because the knowledge they had didn't transfer. Few swedes would pick a white mushroom at all, and most would know that it at least shouldn't be white both on top and underneath because that's deadly.
    - cc81 7y ago
      That fits me, I just wrote a comment saying that while I feel very comfortable picking the standard 2-4 mushrooms in Sweden I would never try and pick a white one even if know we have some edible species.
Alex3917 7y ago
> Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot. Mushrooms of any given species usually have mast years every few years in a given area, so when that happens it's not uncommon to have a bunch of people poisoned in an area in a given year. E.g. it happened two years ago in CA, and it happened in New England after Irene. In the 40+ year history of amateur mycology clubs in the U.S. though no member of one has ever died from mushroom poisoning (although a few have come close). The victims are usually just toddlers grazing in the back yard, plus immigrants eating things that look similar to what they eat in their home countries.

> I found out that of three people admitted in 2006 to Strong Memorial with Amanita poisoning (...) Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot.

linuskendall 7y ago

Where I am from (Sweden) many, many people make mushroom picking a regular habit. However, most who do are aware of what mushrooms are safe, which ones to take extra care in identifying (definitely all white ones) and which ones to never pick. Wild mushrooms are perfectly safe as long as you have some knowledge about it. We were taught by parents and on school trips.

eru 7y ago
Most poisonous mushrooms also don't taste good and make you throw up quickly. (Our bodies have that vomiting mechanism for exactly that reason.) Of course, most doesn't mean all.
klipt 7y ago
Provided you don't assume that knowledge that works in Sweden works anywhere else in the world.
- alkonaut 7y ago
  It doesn't - which is why a lot of people get sick in Sweden every year and it's heavily skewed to people who aren't Swedish. I'm not sure if it's because they lack knowledge entirely, or because the knowledge they had didn't transfer. Few swedes would pick a white mushroom at all, and most would know that it at least shouldn't be white both on top and underneath because that's deadly.
  - cc81 7y ago
    That fits me, I just wrote a comment saying that while I feel very comfortable picking the standard 2-4 mushrooms in Sweden I would never try and pick a white one even if know we have some edible species.

Alex3917 7y ago

> Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot. Mushrooms of any given species usually have mast years every few years in a given area, so when that happens it's not uncommon to have a bunch of people poisoned in an area in a given year. E.g. it happened two years ago in CA, and it happened in New England after Irene. In the 40+ year history of amateur mycology clubs in the U.S. though no member of one has ever died from mushroom poisoning (although a few have come close). The victims are usually just toddlers grazing in the back yard, plus immigrants eating things that look similar to what they eat in their home countries.