What jessamine caused many deaths?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

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Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) J. St. Hilaire) is native to the southeastern U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. All parts of the vine including the flowers and nectar are considered toxic if ingested. Even honeybees are not immune. Having no other source of forage, bees have been found dead with their intestines filled with pollen from Carolina jessamine. Twenty secondary chemicals have been isolated from the plant. But in the 1800s, the root was a widely used materia medica by doctors.

The Delaware or Lenape tribe are said to have used Carolina jessamine as a "blood purifier" and as a topical treatment for dermatological problems. It was noted in a record that these treatments were also used by natives in Oklahoma. Considering that the Lenape 'migrated' from the Delaware region to Oklahoma, it is probable they took their herbal lore with them.

Plant of the Week 02/23/2004

Carolina Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) Plant of the Week 02/23/2004

According to Dr. John King, Gelsemium came to the attention of the 19^th century medical community when a plantation owner in Mississippi suffered an attack of bilious fever (probably fever and haematuria (bloody urine) caused by lesions on the kidneys from a malarial infection). The man had requested some medicinal root. "The servant, by mistake, collected another root, and gave an infusion of it to his master, who, shortly after swallowing some of it, was seized with a complete loss of muscular power, unable to move a limb, or even raise his eyelids, although he could hear, and was cognizant of circumstances transpiring around him." ("Gelsemium (U.S.P.)", H.W. Felter and J.U. Lloyd, King's American Dispensatory, 1898)

King states the planter recovered and had no symptoms from the malarial attack. Gelsemium preparations became a treatment for cerebro-spinal and meningeal inflammations, nervous wakefulness, peritonitis, ovarian problems, mastitis, intestinal inflammations, colds, influenza, muscular spasms, pregnancy, labor, sciatica, migraine, mania, epilepsy, stage fright, fear of school exams, tetanus, malaria, and on and on.

Whether Gelsemium helped or not, is a matter of opinion because Gelsemium had a big problem--a dose that 'cured' one person, killed the next. It was added to patent medicines and preparations varied widely. Patients often took larger and more frequent doses than prescribed and people died one to eight hours after taking fatal dose. From a few who survived paralyzing, almost-fatal doses, Charles Millspaugh mentions that apparently "Death follows without previous loss of consciousness...." ("Gelsemium", American Medicinal Plants, 1892, reprinted 1974, Dover Publications)

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