At 17:12 +1000 15/12/1998, C. Loon wrote:

>> >Ray suggests ingesting herbs as an alternative to intoxication by
>> >alcohol.  Does anyone have recommendations? ( legal or otherwise )
>
>snip
>>  nutmeg is hallucinogenic. When I heard about that
>> I ate 3 teaspoon fulls, chewing thoroughly, for breakfast. I had a
>> fantastic day at work, but had the worst hang-over afterwards.
>>
>I'm curious - exactly what sort of 'hangover' did you experience? (grin)


Similar to a really bad alcohol hangover (i.e. feeling of a really tight
head, with someone hammering away on various parts of the skull with a
rubber mallet), plus severe lethargy, muscular cramps and aching joints.

I'm not sure whether the lethargy and aches were entirely due to the
nutmeg, or whether they came about because I was rather more boisterous
than usual that day. The hangover lasted well into the following day.

I have a friend who ate a whole jar of ground nutmeg (100 grams?)... he
strongly advises against eating that much in one hit... he finished up
vomiting most of it back up, and that turned the whole experience into
a bad trip. Last time I heard from him, he was still smoking it habitually.

 ...Richard.