SC - Christmas Dinner and Gifts

[pat fee]

> Ingesting mistletoe can bring on bouts of vomiting, diarrhea and, in some
> cases, death.
> 

The leaves contain a relatively low concentration of toxic componds, 
but the berries have a highly toxic concentration of the compounds 
viscotoxin and phorotoxin which can be used to make "Birdlime", 
which has been used to this day for treating heart and convulsive 
disorders in very low doses. 
High doses can cause severe convulsions and seizures and sometimes 
death.

Epileptics in Sweden used to carry knives with the handles made from 
the wood of mistletoe to ward off seizures.

Most "real" mistletoe you buy in stores have the real berries removed and plastic 
ones replacing them, to keep kids and pets from accidentally ingesting them
when they fall off the plant.

Mistletoe may also be derived form the Anglo-Saxon Mistle(different)-Tan(twig),
essentially "a twig of a differen sort" a refernece to its apparently growing out of
the host plant.

Mistletoe is also evergreen, which also accounts for its reputation as an herb 
which can preserve life, and was often hung to ward off evil spirits, in doorways 
and over cribs and beds. An Italian version of the Grail legend has a knight
seeing an image of a beautiful fairy appearing with the Crescent Moon and 
the Grail at her feet, and a sprig of Mistletoe in her hand. She said that the 
Mistletoe kept her forever young.

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================