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#84988 10/28/02 08:55 PM
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honey naturally is pretty antiseptic, and resist most molds. but i think mildew is one of few fungus that can infect honey. (botullism is an other bacterium that also can survive in honey-- barely, there is usually not enough to hurt adults, but children have been effected by the botullism toxin)




#84989 10/28/02 09:28 PM
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With regard to toxic honey, there is also a long history. One of the
earliest references comes from the writings of the Greek Xenophon
(approx. 400 B.C.) who described the effects of soldiers eating a toxic
honey. The incident occurred in what is now Turkey. The soldiers were
returning to Greece from a campaign in the Persian Empire, encountered the
hives and robbed them of their honey. Xenophon indicated that the
soldiers who consumed the honey lost thier senses, and were inflicted with
"vomiting and purging". A later reference indicates that the honey of
that region was also used against soldiers of the Roman army under
Pompey. The Heptakometes left jars of the honey along the roadside as a
"tribute" to some of the advancing army. The soldiers who ate the honey
lost their senses and were easily defeated by the Heptakometes. The
source of this toxic honey in the Middle East is probably Rhondodendron
ponticum, although R. luteum could also be a source. A good reference to
the toxic honey of this region is Sutlupinar et al. 1993. Poisoning by
toxic honey in Turkey, Arch. Toxicol. 67:148-150.


#84990 10/28/02 09:56 PM
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>I've got this horrible mental block..

well, certainly turkeys have been around as long as man has. :-|

(meleagrine)


#84991 10/28/02 10:27 PM
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Thank God I'm not the only smart-ass in the crowd!


#84992 10/28/02 10:47 PM
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yes, Dr bill, here is a site that has some info,
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/HonD.html, rhodadendrum, and muntain laurel are especially toxic and honey can be too. but that is very different than botullism, (which is a anarobic bacteria, which is harmless, but the bacteria produces a toxin, that is harmful) and mildew, both of which can "infect" the honey.

the 'toxic honey' is a problems that comes from the nector used to make the honey.


#84993 10/29/02 11:15 AM
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Hey, WW, d'jou see the wwftd today?


#84994 10/29/02 12:38 PM
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Yes, AnnaS, I did see tsuwm's sweet reinforcement of that turkey word that makes me think of margarine and then my brain stops working. Anserine, avian, apian, even hircine stick in my head--but that margarine turkey word takes flight everytime I get close to it.

meleagrin? mealeagrin? I tell you one thing. I'm going to write it on my wrist today and use it with my kids at school about a hundred times, and then I dare that mealy-ol' margarine-like avian to fly away from me ever again!


#84995 10/30/02 01:17 AM
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I know the information was incorrect. I've been a-googling this evening, and, from all I read about the honeybee, it ain't even close to being the oldest living species on earth, just as I suspected.

How do those placemat writers get away with it?

I can't find out which is the oldest species, but it appears that the crocodile is one of the oldest and definitely predates the honeybee.

There were bees in the Cretaceous period, but not honeybees, which didn't come along for millions upon millions of years later.

Oh, me, oh, my. Next time I see an alluring placemat, I'm going to turn it over and play Hangman or something.


#84996 10/30/02 01:28 AM
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oh man, so you mean this isn't the Year of the Rabbit?

sheesh...



formerly known as etaoin...
#84997 10/30/02 10:38 AM
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How do those placemat writers get away with it?

They oughta be reported to the National Board of Place Mat Writers. They's certain standards that should oughta be maintained. Was this restaurant selling queen's jelly on the side?


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