History of use[edit]Peter Stafford's Psychedelics Encyclopedia quotes an 1883 re

port from Mumbai noting that "the Hindus of West India take nutmeg as an intoxic
ant", and records that the spice has been used for centuries as a form of snuff
in rural eastern Indonesia and India, later seeing the ground seed mixed with be
tel and other kinds of snuff. In 1829, the Czech physiologist Jan Evangelista Pu
rkinje ingested three ground nutmegs with a glass of wine and recorded headaches
, nausea, hallucinations and a sense of euphoria that lasted for several days.[1
2]
Harvard ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes and chemist Albert Hofmann, who dis
covered LSD, documented reports of nutmeg's use as an intoxicant by students, pr
isoners, sailors, alcoholics and marijuana smokers. In his autobiography, Malcol
m X writes about taking nutmeg and other "semi-drugs" while serving time in pris
on.[12]
The Angewandte Chemie International Edition records the use of nutmeg as an into
xicant in the United States in the post-World War II period, notably among young
people, bohemians, and prisoners. A 1966 New York Times piece named it along wi
th morning glory seeds, diet aids, cleaning fluids, cough medicine, and other su
bstances as "alternative highs" on college campuses.[12]
Toxicity during pregnancy[edit]Nutmeg was once considered an abortifacient, but
may be safe for culinary use during pregnancy. However, it inhibits prostaglandi
n production and contains hallucinogens that may affect the fetus if consumed in
large quantities.[31]
See also[edit]Run (island), site of a seventeenth-century BritishDutch rivalry fo
r a source of the spice
References[edit]Notes
1.Jump up ^ "Nutmeg". Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
2.Jump up ^ Pat Chapman (2007). India Food and Cooking: The Ultimate Book on Ind
ian Cuisine. New Holland Publishers. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-84537-619-2.
3.Jump up ^ Arthur L. Meyer; Jon M. Vann (2008). The Appetizer Atlas: A World of
Small Bites. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 196. ISBN 0-544-17738-X.
4.Jump up ^ The Merck Index (1996). 12th edition
5.Jump up ^ Utilization of Tropical Foods: Sugars, Spices and Stimulants: Compen
dium on Technological and Nutritional Aspects of Processing and Utilization of T
ropical Foods, Both Animal and Plant, for Purposes of Training and Field Referen
ce. Food & Agriculture Org. 1989. p. 35. ISBN 978-92-5-102837-7.
6.Jump up ^ Milton, Giles. Nathaniel's Nutmeg p.3
7.Jump up ^ Hannard (1991), page 7; Milton, Giles (1999). Nathaniel's Nutmeg. Lo
ndon: Sceptre. pp. 5 and 7. ISBN 978-0-340-69676-7.
8.Jump up ^ Hannard (1991), page 7
9.Jump up ^ Giles Milton, 'Nathaniel's Nutmeg', 1999, London: Hodder and Stought
on, ISBN 0340696753
10.Jump up ^ 'Nutmeg', Department of Export Agriculture website
11.Jump up ^ "Connecticut State Library: Nicknames for Connecticut". Cslib.org.
Retrieved 2012-09-07.
12.^ Jump up to: a b c d Shafer, Jack (2010-12-14) Stupid drug story of the week
: The nutmeg scare, Slate.com
13.Jump up ^ Devi, P. B.; Ramasubramaniaraja, R. (2009). "Dental Caries and Medi
cinal Plants An Overview". Journal of Pharmacy Research 2 (11): 16691675. ISSN 09
74-6943.
14.Jump up ^ Chirathaworn, C.; Kongcharoensuntorn, W.; Dechdoungchan, T.; Lowani
tchapat, A.; Sa-Nguanmoo, P.; Poovorawan, Y. (2007). "Myristica fragrans Houtt.
Methanolic extract induces apoptosis in a human leukemia cell line through SIRT1
mRNA downregulation". Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaih
et thangphaet 90 (11): 24222428. PMID 18181330. edit
15.^ Jump up to: a b Demetriades, A. K.; Wallman, P. D.; McGuiness, A.; Gavalas,
M. C. (2005). "Low Cost, High Risk: Accidental Nutmeg Intoxication" (pdf). Emer
gency Medicine Journal 22 (3): 223225. doi:10.1136/emj.2002.004168. PMC 1726685.
PMID 15735280. edit
16.Jump up ^ "Nutmeg". Plants. Erowid. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
17.^ Jump up to: a b Weil, Andrew (1966). "The Use of Nutmeg as a Psychotropic A
gent". Bulletin on Narcotics (UNODC) 1966 (4): 1523.
18.Jump up ^ Stein, U.; Greyer, H.; Hentschel, H. (2001). "Nutmeg (myristicin) p
oisoning--report on a fatal case and a series of cases recorded by a poison info
rmation centre". Forensic Science International 118 (1): 8790. doi:10.1016/S0379-
0738(00)00369-8. PMID 11343860. edit
19.Jump up ^ Shulgin, A. T.; Sargent, T.; Naranjo, C. (1967). "The Chemistry and
Psychopharmacology of Nutmeg and of Several Related Phenylisopropylamines" (pdf
). Psychopharmacology Bulletin 4 (3): 13. PMID 5615546. edit
20.Jump up ^ McKenna, A.; Nordt, S. P.; Ryan, J. (2004). "Acute Nutmeg Poisoning
". European Journal of Emergency Medicine 11 (4): 240241. doi:10.1097/01.mej.0000
127649.69328.a5. PMID 15249817. edit
21.Jump up ^ Burroughs, William S. (1957). "Letter from a Master Addict to Dange
rous Drugs". British Journal of Addiction to Alcohol & Other Drugs 53 (2): 119132
. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1957.tb05093.x. edit
22.Jump up ^ Quin, G. I.; Fanning, N. F.; Plunkett, P. K. (1998). "Letter: Nutme
g Intoxication" (pdf). Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine 15 (4): 287288. d
oi:10.1136/emj.15.4.287-d. PMC 1343156. PMID 9681323. edit
23.Jump up ^ Brenner, N.; Frank, O. S.; Knight, E. (1993). "Chronic Nutmeg Psych
osis" (pdf). Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 86 (3): 179180. PMC 1293919
. PMID 8459391. edit
24.Jump up ^ Scholefield, J. H. (1986). "Letter: Nutmeg--an Unusual Overdose" (p
df). Archives of Emergency Medicine 3 (2): 154155. doi:10.1136/emj.3.2.154. PMC 1
285340. PMID 3730084. edit
25.Jump up ^ Venables, G. S.; Evered, D.; Hall, R. (1976). "Letter: Nutmeg Poiso
ning" (pdf). British Medical Journal 1 (6001): 96. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.6001.96-c.
PMC 1638356. PMID 942686. edit
26.Jump up ^ Panayotopoulos, D. J.; Chisholm, D. D. (1970). "Correspondence: Hal
lucinogenic Effect of Nutmeg" (pdf). British Medical Journal 1 (5698): 754. doi:
10.1136/bmj.1.5698.754-b. PMC 1699804. PMID 5440555. edit
27.Jump up ^ Williams, E. Y.; West, F. (1968). "The Use of Nutmeg as a Psychotro
pic Drug. Report of two Cases" (pdf). Journal of the National Medical Associatio
n 60 (4): 289290. PMC 2611568. PMID 5661198. edit
28.Jump up ^ Dale, H. H. (1909). "Note on Nutmeg-Poisoning" (pdf). Proceedings o
f the Royal Society of Medicine 2 (Therapeutical and Pharmacological Section): 6
974. PMC 2046458. PMID 19974070. edit
29.Jump up ^ Cushny, A. R. (1908). "Nutmeg Poisoning" (pdf). Proceedings of the
Royal Society of Medicine 1 (Therapeutical and Pharmacological Section): 3944. PM
C 2045778. PMID 19973353. edit
30.Jump up ^ "Don't Feed Your Dog Toxic Foods".
31.Jump up ^ Herb and drug safety chart Herb and drug safety chart from BabyCent
re UK
Bibliography
Milton, Giles (1999), Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Cour
se of History
Further reading
Burroughs, William S. (1959). Naked Lunch. Paris: Olympia Press. p. 228.
Gable, R. S. (2006). The toxicity of recreational drugs. American Scientist 94:
206208
Devereux, P. (1996). Re-Visioning the Earth: A Guide to Opening the