Subject: Re: Wormwood/Artemisia/Thujone

From: [email-masked] (Maxina A. Gohlke)
Date: 22 Jul 1995 16:34:57 GMT

: >Paul Iannone tells people not to make tea out of sagebrush (Artemisia sp)
: >because it is toxic (contains thujone and other terpenoids), but tells
: >people who rant about Absinthe (containing Wormwood, another Artemisia
: >sp. containing thujone and other terpenoids) that you can't say that
: >something is toxic because its individual ingredients are toxic.
:
: I must have missed that post!  I  guess I'm one of the ranters, but
: I stand by my opinion that the beverage called absinthe has a less
: than favorable history associated with it. Why take chances, when
: there's  even a possibility of harmful effects?

>>>>No, you're missing the point that I was making. The defense is not of
absinthe- you will hardly find herbalists on the side of regular use of a
strong alcoholic beverage, with or without Artemesia additions. What is being

countered is the attempt to tar all 'thujone' containing plants as flatly
dangerous to the health. Like anything else, the concentration in the dose is

the issue.

>>>The thujone attack is part of a concerted effort to attack herbalism as
unsafe. Headed by Mr. Tyler of [Dis]Honest Herbal fame, this is the same
isolative thinking that has made comfrey illegal. Be careful who you are
sleeping with!

>>>BTW, if you assume your "Why take chances, when there's even a possibility o
harmful effects?" stance, you will have to avoid cabbage, since it is
poisonous in large amounts (and avoid just about everything else, since they
are too).

Point taken. I was specifically referring to absinthe (the alcoholic beverage) 
to thujone.( or anything else)  I believe the choice to use anything (herbal or
should be an individual one...but it should be an informed decision, based on f
opinion pro and con. 
 I'm curious, since I love cabbage and all  it's relatives, (and tend to overdo
what are it's poisonous properties and how much is too much?

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