30 Students Rushed To Hospital After Eating Poisonous Physic Seeds

[george]

30 students rushed to hospital after eating poisonous Physic seeds

CHAIYAPHUM: -- Thirty students here were rushed to a district hospital at noon after they ate poisonous Physic seeds (Jatropha curcas).

Doctor Manij Chaicharnnarong, director of the Kaengkro Hospital, said 29 of the students were discharged after doctors performed detoxification aids for them.

One of them, who took over 20 seeds, was admitted for close monitoring. He is Anuchit Boonso, 11 a fifth grader of the Nong Sala Pachart School in Tambon Nongsung in Kaengkro district.

The students said they thought the Physic seeds were edible so they had them as snack during the lunch break.

-- The Nation 2009-06-17

[Tywais]

Had to look it up.

"Jatropha curcas is a plant that sounds like science fiction. Proponents’ claims describe it as a biofuel miracle shrub that out-produces corn 10-1, grows in marginal lands, and requires very little water. Its oil can also be used in a Diesel engine with no modifications to the engine or the oil (no transesterification needed). But this bush has a dark side: mildly poisonous seeds (1 or 2 are a laxative, 5 are deadly), the need for harvesting by hand, a propensity to die in the cold, and its perception by some as an invasive weed."

Source: Biodiesel now

[jackdanielsesq]

We used to bake them in cookies when I was in school - walked around trashed for 2 days.

Cant understand this post?!

BR>Jack

[MyphuketLife]

We used to bake them in cookies when I was in school - walked around trashed for 2 days.

Cant understand this post?!

BR>Jack

Thats because you ate to many seeds as a kid...

[jackdanielsesq]

2 x OO

BR>Jack

[wpcoe]

What the heck are "physic seeds" supposed to be? When I read the headline, I wondered if it were a typo and they meant "psycho(tropic)" seeds, but they repeat "physic seeds" in the article with no reference to getting high or intoxicated.

Tywais quotes a source saying two seeds could be a laxative, and that its oil can be used in a diesel engine -- neither lends itself to being an appetizing snack for students.

[jonclark]

Physic seeds - help you do physics better - maybe they

had a test in the afternoon

Edited June 17, 2009 by jonclark

[Robert44]

I have this bush growing near my house - if the below is true it looks as if I can reduce my hospital bills.

I wonder what the 30 students thought they were "curing" or did they not do enough research to remember to bake the nuts first???

According to Hartwell, the extracts are used in folk remedies for cancer. Reported to be abortifacient, anodyne, antiseptic, cicatrizant, depurative, diuretic, emetic, hemostat, lactagogue, narcotic, purgative, rubefacient, styptic, vermifuge, and vulnerary, physic nut is a folk remedy for alopecia, anasorca, ascites, burns, carbuncles, convulsions, cough, dermatitis, diarrhea, dropsy, dysentery, dyspepsia, eczema, erysipelas, fever, gonorrhea, hernia, incontinence, inflammation, jaundice, neuralgia, paralysis, parturition, pleurisy, pneumonia, rash, rheumatism, scabies, sciatica, sores, stomachache, syphilis, tetanus, thrush, tumors, ulcers, uterosis, whitlows, yaws, and yellow fever (Duke and Wain, 1981; List and Horhammer, 1969–1979). Latex applied topically to bee and wasp stings (Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). Mauritians massage ascitic limbs with the oil. Cameroon natives apply the leaf decoction in arthritis (Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). Colombians drink the leaf decoction for venereal disease (Morton, 1981). Bahamans drink the decoction for heartburn. Costa Ricans poultice leaves onto erysipelas and splenosis. Guatemalans place heated leaves on the breast as a lactagogue. Cubans apply the latex to toothache. Colombians and Costa Ricans apply the latex to burns, hemorrhoids, ringworm, and ulcers. Barbadians use the leaf tea for marasmus, Panamanians for jaundice. Venezuelans take the root decoction for dysentery (Morton, 1981). Seeds are used also for dropsy, gout, paralysis, and skin ailments (Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). Leaves are regarded as antiparasitic, applied to scabies; rubefacient for paralysis, rheumatism; also applied to hard tumors (Hartwell, 1967–1971). Latex used to dress sores and ulcers and inflamed tongues (Perry, 1980). Seed is viewed as aperient; the seed oil emetic, laxative, purgative, for skin ailments. Root is used in decoction as a mouthwash for bleeding gums and toothache. Otherwise used for eczema, ringworm, and scabies (Perry, 1980; Duke and Ayensu, 1984). We received a letter from the Medicial Research Center of the University of the West Indies shortly after the death of Jamacian singer Robert Morley, "I just want you to know that this is not because of Bob Morley's illness, why I am revealing this ... my dream was: this old lady came to me in my sleep with a dish in her hands; she handed the dish to me filled with some nuts. I said to her, "What were those?" She did not answer. I said to her, "PHYSIC NUTS." She said to me, "This is the cure for cancer." We found this Jamaican dream rather interesting. Four antitumor compounds, including jatropham and jatrophone, are reported from other species of Jatropha (Duke and Ayensu, 1984). Homeopathically used for cold sweats, colic, collapse, cramps, cyanosis, diarrhea, leg cramps.

[Ijustwannateach]

The 'physic' is related to the word as it is used in the word 'physician'- an old name for medicine was a 'physic.' The connection is that 'physic' means 'body.' When Newton and his contemporaries invented physics, they were studying in particular the motion of bodies, such as *heavenly* bodies... and the name was attached for that reason.

[jackdanielsesq]

Thats what I said

BR>Jack

[remil]

We used to bake them in cookies when I was in school - walked around trashed for 2 days.

Cant understand this post?!

BR>Jack

Thats because you ate to many seeds as a kid...

TOUCHE!!!

[remil]

They must of been well supervised. And how did they obtain these seeds if they are dangerous?

[wpcoe]

The 'physic' is related to the word as it is used in the word 'physician'- an old name for medicine was a 'physic.' The connection is that 'physic' means 'body.' When Newton and his contemporaries invented physics, they were studying in particular the motion of bodies, such as *heavenly* bodies... and the name was attached for that reason.

Fascinating. Thanks for that background info!

[ballpoint]

They must of been well supervised. And how did they obtain these seeds if they are dangerous?

Beats me how a bunch of kids can get hold of some dangerous seeds. They must be hard to come by. I mean, it's not as if they grow on trees or anything.