[Coyoteman]

Just exactly what part of Amanita muscaria is good?

According to Wasson, the plant is generally dried. It is also filtered through the kidneys of elk and cattle in some cultures (yes, that means just what it sounds like).

Wasson's theory was that soma in the Hindu pantheon was actually this mushroom; cattle being sacred follows along. Hence the name of his book (as Antonello astutely noted).

[Incidentally, I have a copy of the original numbered edition of 680. They are getting pretty hard to find nowadays.]

[Antonello]

You sure know how to suck the humor out of a good pun ;-p

[furball4paws]

Amanita muscaria is common where I live and is one poisonous dude. Not as bad as its brethren A. phalloides and A. verna, but still bad. Symptoms include salivation, vomiting, bloody stools, cyanosis, muscular twitching and convulsions. A few fatalities have been reported.