Re: [CH] Fireman's Bitter
Ed Cutrell (ecutrell@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
Sat, 2 Jan 1999 13:37:44 -0800 (PST)
On Fri, 1 Jan 1999, Doug Faust wrote:
> It is the stuff of Absinthe, is it not, of which it was once said
> "absinthe makes the head grow softer"? Boy, that's all a chile dabbler
...
> Absinthe has a long history here in New Orleans, and through the 1800's
> throughout America. but surely the problem didn't come from a mere
> infusion of the flowered twig.....say it ain't true!?
Yes, Absinthe gets it's flavor *and* reputation from Wormwood. I don't
remember the name of the alkaloid responsible (I don't have my refs. with
me here at home--write me and I'll look it up for you), but high doses
are associated with serious side-effects, like memory
disorders, un-coordinated movements, inadvertent eye-blinking, confusion,
skin disorders, blood abnormalities and interaction with other
medicines. Combination with some antidepressants can lead to death!
Believe it or not, herbal infusions can have potent effects--think about
infusions of another flowered twig, cannibus sativa ;-)
If I'm not mistaken, the sale of true absinthe is forbidden in the US,
though you can get herbal preparations of wormwood through the internet if
you really want to try this....
Personally, I'll stick to my tried and true recreational pharmaceuticals
(like datil powder!).
ed