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Mushroom Lunch Deaths: Family Meal Mystery In Australia

Spudrick68 said:
I have been informed recently at work about a mushroom that has no effect. But apparently it is lethal if alcohol is consumed within 24 hours of consuming them.

I had no idea if true.
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Only one way to find out! If we never hear back from you, we'll have the answer! C'mon, it's in the name of Fortean enquiry!

(On second thoughts, please don't!)
 
Spudrick68 said:
I have been informed recently at work about a mushroom that has no effect. But apparently it is lethal if alcohol is consumed within 24 hours of consuming them.

I had no idea if true.
Click to expand...
I have heard this too! Now I have to go and find out why/what/how. I shall report back shortly :)

Edited to add:

Coprinus syndrome - When cooked mushrooms in the genera Coprinopsis (Ink Caps) are consumed with alcohol or alcohol is ingested shortly afterwards. It's not lethal but highly unpleasant sounding:

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprine
 
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Just thinking, apropos of the thread subject, that due to media coverage this lady has already been found 'guilty' by the court of public opinion and media sensation.

It reminds me of that other Australian very high profile 'no smoke without fire' murder case, that occurred under bizarre and unusual circumstances - it was 'known' in 1980 that dingoes don't attack or carry off human infants. Later developments proved that this was in fact the most likely reason for baby Azaria's disappearance.

So, in interests of balance, maybe death cap fungi did get into a dish unintentionally, or some other unknown issue made family members deathly ill?
 
AnonyJ said:
I have heard this too! Now I have to go and find out why/what/how. I shall report back shortly :)

Edited to add:

Coprinus syndrome - When cooked mushrooms in the genera Coprinopsis (Ink Caps) are consumed with alcohol or alcohol is ingested shortly afterwards. It's not lethal but highly unpleasant sounding:

View attachment 71579From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprine
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This is how I feel when I drink alcohol anyway - no coprine necessary, it's alcohol-induced migraine. OR, someone is trying to poison me...
 
charliebrown said:
The most deadliest mushroom is very common in the UK called The Death Cap.

I personally steer clear of any mushroom.
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It is deadly, its not rare but it is a stretch to call it common.

If you're stearing clear of mushrooms because some are deadly that's a bit like saying you don't go in a car because they sometimes crash.
 
IIRC the ink cap mushroom/ alcohol reaction featured in an episode of "Rosemary and Thyme".
My Crime writing guide - "How to write the science" by Brian Price ( its a great read) gives one example of death by death cap mushroom. Christina Hale in 2013, Bridgewater Somerset who made soup from mushrooms in the garden. She died, her husband survived.
 
Here's a post of mine about people who've accidentally eaten poisonous fungi.

#9,260

Oooh, we've 'ad this before - people mistaking toadstools for mushrooms, in this case Destroying Angel:
(Safe Guardian link)
I nearly died after eating wild mushrooms
A cracking read!
'The scary thing about the Destroying Angel is that it tricks you into thinking you are making a recovery – then it destroys your liver'
etc
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Do we have a Fungi thread?
 
I never realized how many brands of cream of mushroom soup are in the soup section in the grocery.

Most edible mushrooms in the U.S. are grown in the state of Pennsylvania in damp, dark, decaying plant material employing thousands of people.
 
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