The Narcotic Effects of Nutmeg

[zengrifter]

Do You Know About the Narcotic Effects of Nutmeg?

By Ibo Nagano, Entheogen Review
June 9, 2009

Nutmeg, now a common household spice, comes from the tree Myristica fragrans, which originates from the Indonesian Banda Islands (also known as the Spice Islands). The name nutmeg comes from Latin, nux muscat, meaning musky nut. Legend has it that when M. fragrans sets seed, the musky smell of the nutmegs is so overpowering that it causes birds of paradise to fall to the ground (Krieg 1964). This may have more to do with the narcotic properties of nutmeg than with its characteristic scent, but it is this musky quality that has made nutmeg a popular flavoring for both sweet and savory dishes.

While the inhabitants of the Banda Islands apparently made no use of nutmeg as a condiment, it is known to have been used as a spice and medicine in India and the Middle East as early as 700 b.c.e., (Kalbhen 1971), while its therapeutic applications have been recorded by Arab physicians since the seventh century c.e. (Weil 1967). Nutmeg did not appear in Europe until the Middle Ages and reports conflict regarding whether it was introduced by Arab traders or by returning crusaders, although it was probably a little of both. While introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, nutmeg was likely a rare commodity until the sixteenth century when the Portuguese discovered that the Banda Islands were the hitherto concealed source of nutmeg (Stein et al. 2001).

After this discovery, nutmeg became a major European commodity. Trade was monopolized by the Portuguese and the Dutch, but eventually came under sole control of the Dutch after an extended military campaign in 1621 that left most of the Islands' inhabitants dead. The Dutch ran the Islands like a plantation and mounted regular expeditions to eradicate sources of nutmeg outside of their control. At the height of its value, nutmeg was carried by Europeans as a display of wealth. Nutmeg graters became fashionable accoutrements, and diners would grate their own nutmeg at fancy restaurants. The Dutch continued to dominate the trade in nutmeg until the nineteenth century when the British took temporary control of the Banda Islands during the Napoleonic Wars and were able to break the monopoly by successfully cultivating nutmeg in the West Indies. Nutmeg has subsequently become a major export product in the West Indies and is now featured on the national flag of Grenada.

By the twentieth century, the popularity of nutmeg as a spice subsided and stabilized. Around this time it became rumored that nutmeg was an effective abortifacient. This use offered the West its first glimpses into the narcotic properties of nutmeg, as a number of young women became delirious after using large quantities of nutmeg to induce miscarriages (Kalbhen 1971).

It may have been these turn-of-the-century reports that led to the use of nutmeg in American prisons by the 1940s or earlier. Despite the length of time that nutmeg's properties have been recognized, fairly little is understood about the actions of this mysterious nut. This article is an attempt to compile the existing information about nutmeg into one place and to provide the reader with a more comprehensive understanding of nutmeg and its peculiar properties.

MORE- http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter...g/?page=entire

[Cherry7Up]

Food Network discussed this in one of its television programs. Apparently they have people check/test the recipes from their famoust hosts before they use them on a show. One host submitted a recipe using a particularly large amount of nutmeg and the network had to do quite a bit of research to make sure that would be safe.

They concluded that any culinarily reasonable amount is insufficient to create any undesriable effects, but I can't remember what sources they consulted / relied upon to reach that conclusion.

[zengrifter]

Nutmeg contains MDA, MMDA, and MDMA. zg

[Automatic Monkey]

Tried it when I was a teen and it was the sickest high I've ever experienced. There was absolutely nothing good about it, sick for a couple of days.

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by Automatic Monkey

Tried it when I was a teen and it was the sickest high I've ever experienced. There was absolutely nothing good about it, sick for a couple of days.

The best way to do it is to masticate the spice without swallowing, for up to an hour, like chewing tobacco. zg

[Katweezel]

This is an old tried and true way: Ye Olde Bat Bong, with Batman and Robin also getting stoned... or smoked by the weed fiend; who has green weed-eyes and looks like he has had too much nutmeg for lunch.

[zengrifter]

The alkaloids are too delicate for smoking. zg

[aslan]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

The alkaloids are too delicate for smoking. zg

Perhaps nutmeg suppositories?

[Katweezel]

Originally Posted by aslan

Perhaps nutmeg suppositories?

Yeah, right. Now who wants a flaming butthole?

[Brutus]

Are you guys getting bored with Katweezel's old #9 moonshine?
too many mornings waking up in the drunk tank, (with sore hiney) and no idea how you got there?
Are you making friends with casino security guards who escort you off property, then wind up in your bed when you wake up?
constant lip burn from the crack pipe/short roaches?

Well, we have just what you need!
consult qualified doctors before attempting.

Nutmeg will mess you up



Friday, 22nd May 2009

Nutmeg, a spice derived from the tree of the same name, indigenous to the Spice Islands of Indonesia; commonly used to add a sweet, nutty flavour to savoury dishes such as cheese sauces, to flavour the festive favourite, Eggnog, and to facilitate visitations by small purple elves on tiny unicorns.

"…about 1-2 teaspoons of spice can really mess you up:
euphoria, visual hallications, psychosis, and feelings of impending doom and unreality…
…makes sense as both compounds [mystricin and elemicin - found in Nutmeg and Mace] structurally resemble mescaline.
Narasimhan B, Dhake AS. Antibacterial principles from Myristica fragrans seeds. J Med Food. 2006 Fall;9(3):395-9.

Apparently, although nutmeg abuse hasn't reached the stage where concerned parents take to the streets with placards, it does warrant an article in the journal Clinical Toxicology. This is taken from the abstract:

Unpleasant and frightening side effects associated with the abuse of nutmeg occasionally generate emergency department referrals. We report a young patient's first-time experience with nutmeg and review the mechanisms of its toxicity.
Sangalli, BC; Chiang, W. Toxicology of Nutmeg Abuse. Clin Tox 2000; 38(6):671-8.

But, it's not all fun and games with imaginary friends - sources say nutmeg is potentially fatal when taken intravenously; which makes me intrigued to know who wasn't getting enough of a high from other methods and decided to crack out the tin foil and lighter.

Also, am I alone in seeing a disturbing resemblance between the mace / nutmeg combination in the picture above and the V For Vendetta insignia?
Finally, a note on the artwork:
I Have Learnt is intended as drawing practice and experimentation and this is more the style that I originally had in mind (only done much better, obviously), I just didn't have the tools for the job. Now? Well, I still don't have the tools, but I did stumble upon some Staedtler Lumocolor CD-DVD pens, which are nicer than the biro I was using.


Sources

• Toxicology of Nutmeg Abuse (Clinical Toxicology) [pdf]
• Drugs and Poisons Blog
• Wikipedia