Nutmeg Poisoning. 
11 
composed chiefly of starch, a compressed oil (nutmeg-butter) and a 
volatile oil. The ripe fruit is carefully gathered, split in half, and 
therefrom is taken the single seed. The seed is then carefully dried in a 
special drying-house — the process taking many weeks. When dry, the ♦ 
hard covering is cracked and the kernel is then treated with dry lime to 
prevent germination. This latter process is said to be unnecessary if the 
drying has been properly carried out. The whole fruit in syrup is used 
as comfit in the Dutch East Indies. 
In medicine, the nutmeg is used chiefly to cover the taste of less 
pleasant-tasting drugs, and locally it is thought to be of use in rheumatic 
troubles. The dose of the powder is given as from 5 to 15 grains. 
In the case I have described, not more then 84 grains can have been 
taken. I asked my patient to pick out a nutmeg from a tinful as nearly 
as possible exactly like the one she grated and took. The one selected 
weighed 84 grains. Now, under ordinary circumstances, that much 
nutmeg should not produce such violent symptoms. It is not un- 
reasonable to suppose that there must have been very many cases of 
little children putting away a great deal more than 84 grains, and not 
suffering any very ill-effects. The spice is to be found in (I suppose) every 
household throughout the civilised world. It is not usual to keep it 
under lock and key, and little children are very inquisitive and taste even 
repugnant things. The spice is used also very largely in cooking, and 
if as small a dose as 84 grains is dangerous, there should be numerous 
cases of ill-effects arising in persons sensitive to this drug who are taking 
fair- sized amounts in their food every day. Surely one should look for 
poisonous symptoms when the fruit is used as a sweetmeat. 
I believe the explanation of poisonous symptoms is the condition of 
the nutmeg : germination must have commenced. It is not unreasonable 
to suspect that a few nutmegs have escaped from the thorough destruc- 
tion of the power of germinating — the germination may have started and 
then been killed, but after some chemical change has taken place. Here, 
in Cape Town, we have a seed very largely eaten by children — the pine 
seed, known locally as the Dana pitje. No untoward symptoms arise 
even when dozens of these " pitjes " are eaten ; but let the child eat one 
that has started germinating and the consequences are extremely serious. 
As I have already stated, recorded cases of nutmeg poisoning are not 
numerous, nor have I heard of any instance where the result was fatal. 
The symptoms described in the cases I have referred to have varied, and 
I think there is room for closer observation, I should like to repeat that 
in my case the most pronounced symptom was the expectation of 
approaching dissolution.* 
* See also Lancet, i., 387, 1908, sind British Medical Journal, i , 495, 1908, for report 
of an address on " Nutmeg Poisoning," by Prof. A. E. Cushny, M.D., F.E.S. 
