An inquisitive physician explores the effects of a poisonous mushroom first-hand
Illness from eating mushrooms is a worldwide phenomenon.1 In Australia, poisoning appears rare but deaths have occurred in recent years,2,3 perhaps partly due to the changing ethnic mix of the country to include cultures more comfortable with eating wild mushrooms despite knowledge of the risks involved.1
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I thank Heino Lepp and Neale Bougher for their identification of the offending mushroom. Dr Bougher was the first to identify this mushroom in the local area.11
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