Tripping On Shrooms In 1914

The tragedy shocked the world, a reminder that even the ‘unsinkable’ was, well, sinkable. World War I broke out, and so the rules of society loosened out of necessity. Women took on jobs as drivers, farmers, mechanics; formerly just for men. Men fought in the War, and those who survived dared to try shroomy new things… 

Hark back to the dawning of a New Age in America — to the earliest known report of psilocybin use, taken from the September 18, 1914 issue of Science magazine! 

The Botanist of Oxford County

The article from Science magazine is set in 1910’s Maine — a dreamy, sepia locale with a lively cast of characters, while most of the world was on the brink of war. But for now we shall focus on a secret dinner party… with Mr. W., a middle-aged botanist, deeply curious about fungi; Mrs. Y, his niece by marriage; and her husband, Mr.Y. Care to guess their savoury main dish? That’s right, magic mushrooms! 

Article writer A.E. Verrill of Yale University recounts the party: 

“Although it has been stated that…(Panaeolus papilionaceus) sometimes has intoxicating properties, it seems desirable to record the recent experience of two persons who ate considerable numbers of this species… 

“This is a small, rather delicate, umbrella-shaped mushroom, which is common on cultivated land, planted to farm crops.”

Since Mr. Y did not eat the mushrooms (and was thus sober), he was able to watch how his fellows took to psilocybin — the trippy compound in shrooms and truffles. Verrill goes on to say that the effects were “similar to those caused by hashish” or those experienced by some opium smokers, such as the “multiplication of objects and their bright colors”. Sounds familiar, huh?

“The appearance of vivid colors recalls… Dr. Weir Mitchell, when he took Mexican mescal pills, as an experiment. The loss of the power of estimating time and distance, as in some dreams, is interesting…”

A Good Mess of Mushrooms

And so began the night’s festivities for Mr. W and company:

“On July 10, 1914, I gathered a good mess of the mushrooms (Panaeolus papilionaceus) and had them cooked for dinner. There may have been about a pound of them as gathered, but when fried in butter they made no great quantity, owing to their softness and delicate structure.”

The mushrooms were all eaten by Mr. W and his niece, Mrs. Y. According to the botanist, the effects set in quickly. He could not collect his thoughts easily, nor join in conversation. Couldn’t get up from his chair quickly, either. So he walked for a bit — and time played its tricks on the gentleman:

“The time was short, but seemed long drawn out; could walk straight but seemed drowsy; had no disagreeable stomach sensations, effects seemed entirely mental… Mrs. Y was in about the same condition, according to Mr. Y…”

The botanist walked with Mr. Y. to clear his mind. Rather intoxicated, in his own words. But things began to seem funny:

“A little later objects took on peculiar bright colors. A field of redtop grass seemed to be in horizontal stripes of bright red and green… 

“At this time Mrs. Y saw nearly everything green, but the sky was blue; her white handkerchief appeared green to her; and the tips of her fingers seemed to be like the heads of snakes.”

Downton Shroomy

“Next, say about half an hour after eating, both of us had an irresistible impulse to run and jump, which we did freely.”

The botanist did not stagger, as he recalled, but his motions seemed to be “mechanical or automatic”. His muscles did not fully obey his will. Was it fatigue from a day’s work? Or a mild case of out-of-body shenanigans?

“Soon both of us became very hilarious…We were indulging extravagantly in joking and what seemed to us funny or witty remarks. Mr. Y., who was with us, said that some of the jokes were successful; others not so., but I can not remember what they were about.”

Jack’s Bean-Stalk

The trip had gotten so vivid, it scared Mr W out of his wits. So he asked Mr. Y to go fetch a doctor:

“I had the unpleasant sensation of having my body elongate upward to the ceiling, which receding, I grew far up, like Jack’s bean-stalk, but retained my natural thickness. Collapsed suddenly to my natural height.”

Mr. W. then tried to play the parlor organ, but couldn’t manage his fingers. He then described the next stage of his shroom trip as being “chaotic”:

“There was a partial and brief loss of consciousness. Laid down to wait for the doctor. Looking at my hands, they seemed to become small, emaciated, shrunken and bony, like those of a mummy. Mrs. Y. says that…her hands and arms seemed to grow unnaturally large.”

(Sounds like you guys hit the psilocybin motherlode there…)

A Sort of Clairvoyance

Already sounds pretty nuts for a dinner party? Wait till you hear Mr. W.’s pièce de résistance:

“Later I imagined I was able, by a sort of clairvoyance, to tell the thoughts of those around me. Soon after this our conditions [went back to] the very hilarious phase…with much involuntary laughing and joking.”

Mind-reading? Perfect! ?

“The entire experience lasted about six hours. No ill effects followed. There was no headache, nor any disturbance of the digestion.”

1914: The Age of Morphine and Morpheus

Thanks to the article, Mr. W.’s dinner party lived on as the earliest, most detailed report of magic mushroom use — at least within the monied classes. High society, indeed! As for its scientific accuracy? Psychedelic hero Paul Stamets had but one nitpick in his 1996 book, Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World:

“The mushrooms may have been incorrectly identified, and could have been Panaeolus subbalteatus.”

We can’t really blame Mr. W. for any errors in labelling. His dinner party was, after all, the first recorded shroom trip in U.S. history. Besides, this was the age of morphine — named after Morpheus, god of dreams. 

During World War I, morphine sulfate was used to ease the pain of wounded soldiers. The only caveat? Many veterans ended up with an addiction. 

It was the only truly effective painkiller, as one soldier spoke of his comrade: “the relief-giving little needle is inserted in his arm, and blessed morphia gives him sleep.” 

What About Psilocybin?

Psilocybin, the trippy compound in magic mushrooms and truffles, is safe and non-habit forming. How so? Its base chemical, psilocin, simply lacks the addictive traits of opioids (to which morphine belongs). 

In fact, the U.S. is on its way to decriminalise psilocybin — as medicine! Shrooms and truffles can help treat a host of mental conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD. (Amazing, right? Why not check out more fun facts about magic mushrooms right here!)

But, let us return to pre-war Maine, where the shrooms are spitting butter on the stove top. Mmmm…

If you want your own, albeit planned, psychedelic experience check out our range of magic truffles! Chock full of psilocybin and ready to go!

Explore your past, present and future — all at once. Check out our fresh magic truffles in their nutty goodness!