Around 2,000 mushrooms (toadstools) grow in England, of which 200 are edible and a dozen are classified as poisonous. Not all the poisonous ones are dangerous. It is obviously better to prevent mushroom poisoning by ensuring correct identification of those that are edible; books and charts are available.

The most toxic species are those containing amatoxins such as death cap (Amanita phalloides), which is responsible for about 90 per cent of all mushroom-related deaths. With these more toxic species there is a latent period of six hours or more between ingestion and the onset of clinical effects. The small intestine, LIVER and KIDNEYS may be damaged – therefore, any patient with gastrointestinal effects thought to be due to ingestion of a mushroom should be referred immediately to hospital.

Muscarine is the poisonous constituent of some species. Within two hours of ingestion, the victim starts salivating and sweating; there may be visual disturbances, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vertigo, confusion, hallucinations and coma, the severity of symptoms depending on the type of mushroom and the amount eaten. Most people recover in 24 hours, with treatment.

‘Magic’ mushrooms are a variety that contains psilocybin, a hallucinogenic substance. Children who take such mushrooms may develop a high fever and need medical care. In adults the symptoms usually disappear within six hours.