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rungi
journeymana

Registered: 07/11/01
Posts: 212
Last seen: 15 years, 1 month
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1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen
#5960729 - 08/13/06 09:44 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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I just read the article allen wrote about the death of an 18 year old in hawaii in 1972 that was attributed to an heroin overdose. The time of death after the kid went to the emergeny was 31 hours. I do not no much about heroin overdose but that seems extreme. Do you think it is possible the kid ate C. cyans contaminated with unknown infectious bacteria originating from the manure?
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: 1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen [Re: rungi]
#5961795 - 08/14/06 04:05 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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seems a little strange unless he was unconscious and braindead and kept on life support for a period before passing away. Heroine is MUCH more likely than a 'contamination withunknown infectious bacteria from the manure' since that is extremely unlikely and probably impossible., Anyone ever thought that this guy kight have eaten a lactaria or conocybe?
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mjshroomer
Sage
Registered: 07/21/99
Posts: 13,774
Loc: gone with my shrooms
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Re: 1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen [Re: rungi]
#5962094 - 08/14/06 09:16 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Mushrooms were examine and identified as Copelandia cyanescens. He had no psilocine or psilocybine in his bloodstream and the autopsy when I saw it showed a a small amount of morphine in his bilge. He was a known user of heroin, so it stands to reason he lied when he went to the hospital. He lied to the doctores who treated him. Probably afraid he would be charged with possession or under the influence of narcotics. WHo knowns. However, we all know that 10 copelandia cyanescens mushrooms will not kill you.
Fromt he Hawaiian newspaper.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Quote:
HONOLULU STAR BULLETIN Thursday, March 1, 1973. Page B1.
Heroin Apparently Killed 'Magic Mushroom' Victem A youth who ate "magic mushrooms" shortly before his death, died from "poisoning due to drugs, probably heroin," said Dr. Alvin V. Majoska, of the Medical Examiner's Office.
Before he died on Christmas Day, John Gomilla Jr., 18, of Bowie, Md., told doctors at Wahiawa General Hospital that he had eaten "magic mushrooms" picked at Mokuleia.
Majoska did not rule out the possibility of mushroom poisoning but said there was no evidence to substantiate it.
Eating wild mushrooms is extremely dangerous because an amateur cannot tell the difference between toxic and non-toxic mushrooms, Majoska said.
"Anybody who is picking wild mushrooms and eating them is playing Russian roulette," he said.
"That's why we have so many mushroom deaths in this country."
"There was a small amount of morphine found in his bile," Majoska said.
The alleged type of mushrooms that he ate were identified as hallucinogenic mushrooms," Majoska said.
Specimens of body liquids were sent to the medical examiner's office in Dallas, Texa for tests, he said.
That's where the morphine was detected.
"He was a known heroin addict until age 16, but he claimed he quit," Majoska said.
He said that "toxins of poisonous mushrooms rapidly metabolize" and do not stay long in their pure form long enough to permit analysis.
This was a full investigation.
There are no poisonous Conocybe species in Hawaii growing in manure which would kill you.
mjshroomer.
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eris
underground


Registered: 11/17/98
Posts: 48,024
Loc: North East, USA
Last seen: 4 months, 18 days
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Re: 1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen [Re: mjshroomer]
#5962760 - 08/14/06 01:29 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Interesting story, I seem to remember reading that somewhere before.
-------------------- Immortal / Temporarily Retired The OG Thread Killer My mushroom hunting gallery
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rungi
journeymana

Registered: 07/11/01
Posts: 212
Last seen: 15 years, 1 month
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Re: 1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen [Re: eris]
#5962924 - 08/14/06 02:19 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Its quite unusual to mix heroin and mushrooms. Generally they are not used by people at the same time and this kid apparently was using and at least familiar with picking musrhooms in HI according to what I read. 31 hours to die of an overdose after already checking himself into the hospital seem excessive. Doesnt it seem more likely although very rare the boy had some mushroom contaminated with unknow to the doctors at the time a toxic bacteria. such as http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/O157DT104/O157DT104index.html
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xmush
Professor ofDoom


Registered: 10/22/05
Posts: 2,421
Loc: Jaw-juh
Last seen: 14 years, 3 months
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Re: 1972 hawaii death conclusion of John Allen [Re: rungi]
#5962958 - 08/14/06 02:37 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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0157:H7 did not even exist in 1973 as far as I know. The symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome from E. coli 0157:H7 would be extremely different than the symptoms of heroin overdose, and the findings on an autopsy would be even more different between the two. And even with an unknown infection or intoxication with bacterial toxins, there would still be pathological changes that would have made doctors suspect an infectious cause of death. The individual was a known user of heroin and opiates were discovered in his body at the time of his death. Seems pretty cut and dry. That being said, eating things from cow poop is a risky proposition with a high chance of a nasty GI illness if sanitary preparatory measures are not observed.
Might be time to move this thread to OTD.
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