[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[Padruig]

It is also an interesting thought to know that BOTOX, the product used in certain plastic surgery treatments, is essentially the same toxin to which you are referring. BOtulism TOXin. 

Never too much information. Thanks for the input.

Padruig



Dr. Raymond Zentz
 
It is better to die a free man, than to live, a slave.



 
 I researched quite a bit before doing this, and it was only 
 as an experiment (I was the taster, didn't give it to anyone 
 else, until after I would have felt any effects). You CAN get 
 the temp high enough to kill botulism, but it requires a 
 pressure cooker, and at a full 15 pounds of pressure. And, I 
 only re-used the lids on high acid foods, in which botulism 
 won't grow, anyway.

Probably more than you want to know about Botulism:
Actually, as with many Clostridial diseases, it is not the botulism bacteria
hat causes the illness.  It is the toxin that it produces under certain
ircumstances.  The botulism toxin is a neuro toxin, and without modern
reatment can very often cause death.  "Symptoms are symmetric and often
nclude blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing,
ry mouth, slurred speech, and muscle weakness. Fever is absent, unless
here is a complicating infection. If untreated, these symptoms can progress
o cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and breathing muscles and
eath." (WI foodborne botulism fact sheet)  Even with treatment it may take
months* to recover.  
The symptoms usually take from 6 to 24 hrs to develop.  In *rare* cases they
an occur in as little as 2 hrs or as long as 10 days after consuming
ontaminated food.  They will not hit all at once, but are progressive and
et worse over time. " Often the symptoms of foodborne botulism are mistaken
or symptoms associated with stroke, chemical intoxication, myasthenia
ravis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome." (Univ. of FL factsheet)  
While the bacteria is very heat resistant, the toxin is not.  That is why it
s recommended to boil home canned foods for 10 full minutes before eating
hem.  This should destroy any toxins that may be present.  
Something to note is that botulism is by no means restricted to canned food.
n Canada many outbreaks have occurred in native people consuming poorly
reserved seal and whale meats.
Gefjon
who has seen and dealt with clostridial diseases in animals and has lost
amily members to them)  
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