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When I first moved to the country, David Tudor, M. C. Richards, the
Weinribs, and I all lived in the same small farmhouse. In order to
get some privacy I started taking walks in the woods. It was
August. I began collecting the mushrooms which were growing more
or less everywhere. Then I bought some books and tried to find out
which mushroom was which. Realizing I needed to get to know someone
who knew something about mushrooms, I called the 4-H Club in New
York City. I spoke to a secretary. She said they’d call me back.
They never did. ¶ The following spring, after reading about the
edibility of skunk cabbage in Medsger’s book on wild plants, I
gathered a mess of what I took to be skunk cabbage, gave some to my
mother and father (who were visiting) to take home, cooked the rest
in three waters with a pinch of soda as Medsger advises, and served
it to six people, one of whom, I remember, was from the Museum of
Modern Art. I ate more than the others did in an attempt to convey
my enthusiasm over edible wild plants. After coffee, poker was
proposed. I began winning heavily. M. C. Richards left the table.
After a while she came back and whispered in my ear, “Do you feel
all right?” I said, “No. I don’t. My throat is burning and I can
hardly breathe.” I told the others to divide my winnings, that I
was folding. I went outside and retched. Vomiting with diarrhea
continued for about two hours. Before I lost my will, I told M. C.
Richards to call Mother and Dad and tell them not to eat the skunk
cabbage. I asked her how the others were. She said, “They’re not as
bad off as you are.” Later, when friends lifted me off the ground
to put a blanket under me, I just said, “Leave me alone.” Someone
called Dr. Zukor. He prescribed milk and salt. I couldn’t take it.
He said, “Get him here immediately.” They did. He pumped my stomach
and gave adrenalin to keep my heart beating. Among other things,
he said, “Fifteen minutes more and he would have been dead.” ¶ I
was removed to the Spring Valley hospital. There during the night
I was kept supplied with adrenalin and I was thoroughly cleaned
out. In the morning I felt like a million dollars. I rang the bell
for the nurse to tell her I was ready to go. No one came. I read a
notice on the wall which said that unless one left by noon he would
be charged for an extra day. When I saw one of the nurses passing by
I yelled something to the effect that she should get me out since
I had no money for a second day. Shortly the room was filled with
doctors and nurses and in no time at all I was hustled out. ¶ I
called up the 4-H Club and told them what had happened. I
emphasized my determination to go on with wild mushrooms. They
said, “Call Mrs. Clark on South Mountain Drive.” She said, “I can’t
help you. Call Mr. So-and-so.” I called him. He said, “I can’t help
you, but call So-and-so who works in the A&P in Suffern. He knows
someone in Ramsey who knows the mushrooms.” Eventually, I got the
name and telephone number of Guy G. Nearing. When I called him, he
said, “Come over any time you like. I’m almost always here, and
I’ll name your mushrooms for you.” ¶ I wrote a letter to Medsger
telling him skunk cabbage was poisonous. He never replied. Some
time later I read about the need to distinguish between skunk
cabbage and the poisonous hellebore. They grow at the same time in
the same places. Hellebore has pleated leaves. Skunk cabbage does
not. |