More on nutmeg abuse
December 16, 2010, 1:24 am
This morning in Slate, Jack Shafer has an interesting short discussion outlining the history of nutmeg and its abuse. I didn’t know, for example, that Malcolm X describes getting high on nutmeg while in prison in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Nor was I aware that a recent nutmeg-related death was reported in the medical literature (Forensic Sci Int 2001;118:87-90). Unfortunately, Shafer failed to do all his homework and does not mention that the patient in that case report also had a toxic level of flunitrazepam detected. Thus, it is not at all clear what role — if any — nutmeg (myristicin) poisoning played in the fatality.
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Jack Shafer Says:
Thanks for the mention. I’ve added a short paragraph to my piece linking to TPR and to the journal article you cite.
http://www.slate.com/id/2277917/
Jack Shafer
December 16th, 2010