Re: Datura inoxia in the news

[Bill Oliver]

> >Reuters AlertNet >"WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Fourteen Ohio teen-agers trying to get a >free 'high' off plants out of their gardens ended up in the emergency >room, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. > >"The youngsters evidently thought they could get stoned by eating the >seeds of a local plant called the moonflower but did not realize they >were toxic, the CDC said." >

They can.

For a good description, see:

As Robert Beverly noted about soldiers in Jamestown, Virginia who accidentally ate Datura stramonium in their salad (hence "Jamestown weed" then "jimsonweed"):

And some of them ate plentifully of it, the effect of which was a very pleasant Comedy; for they turned natural Fools upon it for several Days. One would blow a Feather in the Air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another stark naked was sitting up in a Corner, like a Monkey grinning and making Mows at them; a Fourth would fondly kiss and paw his Companions, and sneer in their Faces with a Countenance more antik than any in a Dutch Droll.

From Clinical Toxicology, CJ Polson, 3rd ed.

billo

[Towse]

It's a matter of dosage, I understand. The fine line between just enough and too much seems to vary from soul to soul and from plant to plant.

Sal

[Towse]

Thanks for the link, btw. I've been interested in the effects ever since we had a case similar to the Ohio case out here.

I also found this today:

Ah, for the good ol' days of nutmeg and Heavenly Blue morning glories.

Sal

[animaux]

Just about all nightshade plants (solanacea family) have some part of the plant which is poisonous. Tomato has foliage which is toxic to humans...etc.

Eating D.inoxia seed or any datura for that matter is not a new thing to do. It's been used for astral travel for many, many, many years.

[Bill Oliver]

Yeah. A few kids end up on the table every time Castaneda becomes popular again. If you look at the literature, sporadic clusters of people, usually adolescent males (in the US), pop up every two or three years.

It could be worse, there are 10 times more people poisoned by Philodendrons every year. I don't know what it is about kids and Philodendrons. At least that is almost never fatal.

My favorite is still "mad honey" made by bees from the nectar of Rhododendrons and azaleas.

See:

Sutlupinar N, Mat A, Satganoglu Y. Poisoning by toxic honey in Turkey. Arch Toxicol. 1993;67(2):148-50

billo

[Bill Oliver]

Heh. Yeah, travel right to the autopsy table.

billo

[animaux]

Well billo, not EVERYTHING has something to do with you. There are Indians who still use datura in their sweat lodge experiences. The difference is, they know what they're doing. Idiotic kids who read Carlos and pop some datura probably don't realize they are eating what will likely be their last thing to ingest.

Heh. Ain't that funny. Yeah.

[animaux]

No, it's their ancient ritual they've been using for many, many years before we arrived and slaughtered them and the bison.

[Philip]

I remain a bit skeptical of some of the information, specifically based on some of the citations listed.

And it does you no credit. Research or don't, publish your findings or don't, but ego battles do nothing for your stance or believability.

Philip

[Bill Oliver]

The bottom line, Philip, is that "Native American" has common currency. Bitching about its use is a little bit like complaining about the use of a split infinitive in the Star Trek intro.

In general, if someone uses "Native American" in a conversation, one might as well roll with it rather than complain about usage.

billo (Who grew up in Chickasaw country)