Jamaica ginger

Morgan JP, Penovich P. (1978). Jamaica ginger paralysis. Forty-seven-year follow-up. Arch Neurol. 35(8) 530-2. 

Jamaica ginger United States Shen jiang China... 

Weber, M. L. A follow-up study of thirty-five cases of paralysis caused by adulterated Jamaica-ginger extract. MedBull Vet Admin 1937 13 228-242. Kim, J. H., Y. S. Yoo, M. I. Mang, and H. S. Yun-Choi. Effects of some combined crude drug preparations against platelet aggregations. Korean J Phar-macogl990 21(2) 126-129. 

Jamaica ginger United States Zingiber officinale... 

Jamaica ginger is light in colour. The odour is aromatic, agreeable, pungent and spicy. The taste is aromatic, pungent, and with a volatile oil content of 1.0% vol/wt. 

Eventually it became clear that the syndrome was associated with the use of an extract of Jamaica ginger, normally sold for medicinal purposes. Remedies like this were popular at the time and some of them were well known, for example the Vegetable Compound of Lydia Pinkham ( Lily the Pink). The ginger was dissolved in up to 90 per cent alcohol to produce a syrup or tincture (for example, Tinctura Zingiberis was 90 per cent alcohol). A few drops in water would usually be taken, and the extract was sold in pharmacies in 2 oz bottles. Popularly known as Jake , the remedy had been in use since the nineteenth century for the treatment of minor ailments such as colds, period pains, headaches, and flatulence and to aid digestion. ... 

The first case of the new syndrome associated with the use of extract of Jamaica ginger was seen by Dr Goldfain at an Oklahoma hospital on 27 February 1930. By the end of the day he had treated four patients, all apparently suffering from the same syndrome, a multiple neuritis (inflammation of the nerves). It so happened that one of the patients was a pharmacist who had sold the jake extract and had himself taken some ten days earlier. Another sixty-five patients with the same symptoms presented themselves, all of whom had taken Jamaica ginger extract seven to sixteen days prior to the onset of their symptoms. While the association between the use of the Jamaica ginger extract and the illness was made, this was puzzling because the remedy had been used since the middle of the nineteenth century without any apparent problem. 

Many shipments of Jamaica ginger extracts were seized by the Food and Drug Administration and the primary source of the adulterated samples was eventually traced to a company in Boston, Hub Products. The president of the company, Harry Gross, and a part-owner of the firm were charged with conspiracy to violate the Prohibition Act and the Food and Drug Act. They pleaded guilty and were convicted. ... 

If toxicological information had been available in the 1930s the chemical TOCP would probably not have been used as a solvent for Jamaica ginger for human consumption (see pp. 260-2), nor would diethylene glycol have been used as a vehicle for sulphanilamide (see below). 

J. Parascandola, Pharmacology and public health the Jamaica ginger paralysis episode of the 1930 s , Pharmacy in History, 36 3 (1994), 123-43, published online (http / /www.herbalgram.org/wholefoodsmarket/herbal-gram / articleview. asp a=957)... 

Harris S. Jamaica ginger paralysis (a peripheral polyneuritis). South Med J 1930 23 375-380. 

Mix together 1 ouuco essence of Jamaica ginger 2 ounces ca[Pg.326]

Aring, C. D. (1942). The. systemic nervous affinita of triortbocre-sy[phosphate (Jamaica ginger paLsy). Brain 65, 34 7. 

Hunans. In 1930, an retract of Jamaica ginger was cont inated with tri-ortho-ciesyl phraphate esters. Consumption of tiie ginger extract or cont inated cooking oil poisoned more than 40,000 people. Ifl-orthoKiresyl phosphate toxicosb In humans is also known as Jamaica gii er paralysis. 

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