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of troy wrote: ...and have many of the spice (whole) to grind fresh when needed. (nutmeg, mace, allspice, cinnamin,...Likely you know this, but I was surprised to find out some time ago that nutmeg is an hallucinogen if taken in high enough dosage. http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/recreationaldrugs/nutmeg.htmOf course, many plants can be toxic if too much is ingested. One of my favorite Herbal references is "The Herb Book" by John Lust. An oldie, but goodie.
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nutmeg is interesting, (there is a book on The Nutmeg Wars-- a period of european expansion into the eastern spice islands, (and for domination of the sea/trade roots.)
the american test kitchens (which have a show on PBS) had a little aside about fresh nutmeg.. its the 'spice' in 'old spice'-- nutmeg was commonly used in perfumes, especailly men's scents, along with bay (as in bay rum) and it is effective as an antideodorant for stinky feet/shoes.
My son has a nugmeg shaver-- it sort of looks like a pepper mill, but it has a blade/planer type arrangement, to shave of super thin sheet of nutmeg (that crumble to dust at the merest touch!)
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Dear pf troy: the first nutmeg wars started when unethical entrepreneurs in Connecticut started peddling wooden nutmegs.
"The Nutmeg State: Nutmeg, the powder used for seasoning foods, is ground from the seed of the fruit of the Nutmeg Tree, Myristica fragans. A couple of stories exist as to the origin of this nickname. One story has it that this nickname came about as a comment on the ingenuity and shrewdness of the citizens of the state. In a story, perhaps originated by Sam Slick, it is claimed that the people of Connecticut were so ingenious and shrewd that they were able to make and sell "wooden" nutmegs to unsuspecting buyers. A variation on this story maintains that purchasers did not know that the seed must be ground to obtain the spice and may have accused yankee peddlars, unfairly, of selling worthless "wooden" nutmegs. It may be that these wooden nutmegs were whittled by idle sailors on ships coming from the spice island and sold as souvenirs."
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The Nutmeg Wars sounds like an intriguing book. I'd like to check it out. Have you read, "Salt: A World History", by any chance? I enjoyed that book as well. Books based on "little" subjects that turn out to have great importance in world history seem to be popular right now. One of my favorites that I read recently is a book called, "The Secret Life of Dust", by Hannah Holmes. I cannot recommend this book enough for the sheer fun tidbits of information Holmes shares...but then I'm a geek, so take it for what it's worth. 
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That's a useful resource, wwh. Thanks! I'm a shameless collector of websites and have just book-marked this one for my botany collection. Thank you!
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oh yes, i loved Salt! i haven't read The Nutmeg Wars yet, but i also recommend Botony of Desire by Michael Pollen... you'll never look at an apple or a tulip (bulb or flower) the same again..
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I also recommend Botony of Desire by Michael Pollen
Pollen?! Isn't that interesting? I wonder if his choice of interests was influenced at all by his last name?
Thanks for the book recommendation.
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...The Case of the Illustrious Client, in which super villain Adelbert Gruner gets vitrol in the face...Thanks. You're right. Charles Augustus Milverton was another arch-villian, a blackmailer actually, and he got his from another wronged woman (who shot him). Your investigations led me to find http://www.geocities.com/fa1931/british/conandoy/milverto.html. Apparently the full text of ALL the Sherlock Holmes stories in available on line !
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Ipecac wasn't listed. I heard a report on NPR that ipecac will no longer be available--just caught the end of the report. I don't know whether it has been found to be dangerous, but ipecac has been widely used as an antidote for poisoning. Did anyone catch the whole NPR report?
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