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#115372 11/10/03 10:48 PM
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Didn't catch the NPR broadcast but...

What's its etymology?
From what language originally? Did we get many other words from that source?
And what a great anagram target it makes! Capice?!

And BTW it's _always_ been dangerous. Comes in two strengths, y'see, one therapeutic but the other (CAUTION: NEEDS TO BE DILUTED BEFORE USE) quite toxic.

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Here is a long article about ipecacuanha,from Brazil, so a Portugese word:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/i/ipecac07.html#his


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Thanks, wwh.

Capice.


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Non capisco "capice". Capisce?


#115376 11/11/03 01:15 AM
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Croton oil. A laxative of extreme potency. A highschool chum told me about Balzac short story, where French King put croton oil into wine, and would not let afflicted courtiers depart until they were desperate. So they all perched on first stone wall they could find.
Alas I never knew name of the story, and can't find it
Perhaps in Comedie Humaine.
From AHD
croton oil

NOUN: A brownish-yellow, foul-smelling oil obtained from the seeds of a tropical Asian shrub or small tree (Croton tiglium) and formerly used as a drastic purgative and counterirritant. Its use was discontinued because of its toxicity



#115377 11/11/03 10:50 PM
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Crotons are lovely plants--lovely multi-colored, thick leaves..

Why did this king want to make the courtiers so miserable? What was the motive given in the story, wwh?


#115378 11/12/03 12:34 AM
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As I said, a chum in highschool told me about it, mentioning only that it was one of the Droll Tales. The king was a bit of a sadist. Etiquette very positively barred the attending nobles from leaving until the King gave them permission to do so, fully intending that all should have soiled themselves before they could get home.
Actually, I think that croton oil, even in the very small effective dose, would be very readily detected, and the wine would be dumped into the potted petunias, if there were any handy. One of the substances found in the oil is
valeric acid, which is one of the things that makes garbage smell so bad.
I spent hours trying to see if I could find the story, but no luck. Sob,sob!


#115379 11/12/03 06:43 PM
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Thanks for the Droll effort, wwh.


#115380 12/12/03 10:45 PM
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from Brazil, so a Portuguese word

more likely a native word, probably Tupi-Guarani.


#115381 12/13/03 12:46 AM
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American Academy of Clinical Toxicology:
"Syrup of ipecac should not be administered routinely in the management of poisoned patients. In experimental studies the amount of marker removed by ipecac was highly variable and diminished with time. There is no evidence from clinical studies that ipecac improves the outcome of poisoned patients and its routine administration in the emergency department should be abandoned. There are insufficient data to support or exclude ipecac administration soon after poison ingestion. Ipecac may delay the administration or reduce the effectiveness of activated charcoal, oral antidotes, and whole bowel irrigation. Ipecac should not be administered to a patient who has a decreased level or impending loss of consciousness or who has ingested a corrosive substance or hydrocarbon with high aspiration potential."


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