Re(2): SC - Rue

[Uduido at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-05-05 10:04:41 EDT, you write:

<< Lord Ras has been fortunate with the lack of side effects for him. I hope
it
 continues so for him. >>

Actually the 150 to 200 people who have eaten at each of the feasts that I
have prepared for the last 8 years are the ones who should be commended as
lucky. :-)

Anyway, I consulted with the herbalist (licensed) at my local health food
store about the rue subject. She assured me that the poisonous properties of
the plant are safe and not evident in the amounts that would be used in
cookery. She also suggested that many herbals and herbalists over-imphasize
the "bad" points of a plant for the purpose of discouraging the abuse of a
plant that contains potentially harmful substances.

As a sideline, our discussion turned to other "poisonous" plant foods such
as, beets which contain cyanide as does the seeds of apples (1 cp of apple
seeds eaten all at once will kill a person through cyanide poisoning). 

The gist of the entire conversation was to not become irrational and/or
paranoid when you hear of the potential poisonous qualities of common foods,
herbs and spices. When a product is consumed by the average person in
reasonable amounts the harm done to the body is non-existent. When prepared
as a medicine or taken in extremely large amounts, it is another story.

Lord Ras