d. Strong alcoholic drinks should never be taken
together with, or immediately after eating Mushrooms, or other
innocent fungi. Experienced fungus eaters (mycophagists) have
found themselves suffering from severe pains, and some swellings
through taking whiskey and water shortly after the meal: whereas
precisely the same fungus, minus the whiskey, could be eaten with
impunity by these identical experimentalists.

MUSTARD.

The wild Mustard (_Brassica Sinapistrum_), a Cruciferous herb
commonly called Chedlock, from _leac_, a weed, and _kiede_, to
annoy, grows abundantly as a product of waste places, and in newly
disturbed ground.

The Field Mustard (_Arvensis_) is Charlock, or Brassock; its
botanical term, _Sinapis_, being referable to the Celtic _nap_, as a
general name for plants of the rape kind. Mustard was formerly
known as "senvie" in English. It has been long cultivated and
improved, especially in Darham.

Now we have for commercial and officinal purposes two varieties of
the cultivated plant, the black Mustard (_Sinapis nigra_), and the
white Mustard (_Brassica_, or _Sinapis alba_). There is also a plain
plant of the hedges, [376] Hedge Mustard (_Sisymbrium officinale_)
which is a mere rustic Simple. It is the black Mustard which
yields by its seeds the condiment of our tables, and the
pungent yellow flour which we employ for the familiar stimulating
poultice, or sinapism. This black Mustard is a tall smooth plant,
having entire leaves, and smooth seed pods, being now grown for
the market on rich alluvial soil chiefly in Lincolnshire and
Yorkshire. In common with its kindred plants it gets its name from
_mustum_, the "must," or newly fermented grape juice, and
_ardens_, burning, because as a condiment, Mustard flour was
formerly mixed with home-made wine and sugar. The virtues of
black Mustard depend on the acrid volatile oil contained in its seeds.
These when unbruised and macerated in boiling water yield only a
tasteless mucilage which resides in their skin. But when bruised
they develop a very active, pungent, and highly stimulative principle
with a powerful penetrating odour which makes the eyes water.
From thence is perhaps derived the generic name of the herb
_Sinapis_ (_Para tou sinesthai tous hopous_, "because it irritates the
eyes"). This active principle contains sulphur abundantly, as is
proved by the discoloration of a silver spoon when left in the
mustard-pot, the black sulphuret of silver