Thornapple

2022 - 12 - 21

Post cover — Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Noxious weed thornapple responsible identified as spinach ... (ABC News)

The toxic thornapple plant has been in Australia for centuries and caused dozens of poisonings this week after contaminating a spinach harvest.

- convulsions. - vomiting - breathing problems - high temperatures - thirst - dilated pupils

Weed behind spinach recall identified as 'thornapple' (Sky News Australia)

The weed at the centre of the Australian wide Riviera Farms spinach recall has been identified as 'thornapple'. The investigation did not identify any other ...

Baby spinach recall: Riviera Farms identify find toxic weed as ... (Daily Mail)

A toxic weed has been identified as the culprit for the mass hallucinations and other symptoms of poisoning suffered by over 200 people who contaminated ...

Bags of spinach sold in NSW, Victoria and the ACT with use by dates from December 16 up to and including December 28 Woolworths has recalled two salad products containing the potentially contaminated spinach - Chickpea Falafel 290g (left) with use by dates of December 20 and 22 and Chicken Cobb Salad (right) 270g with use by dates of December 20 The national recall includes bags of spinach sold through Costco in NSW, Victoria and the ACT with use by dates from December 16 up to and including December 28.

Weed responsible for hallucinogenic spinach recall identified as ... (The Guardian)

Riviera Farms says Victorian health authorities confirmed nightshade had contaminated harvest, with neighbouring crops now being destroyed.

It [announced on Monday](https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/media/Pages/Baby-spinach-recall-concluded.aspx) that “all affected products, linked to the Riviera Farms baby spinach, have been identified and recalled”. “This is likely to be a nightshade.” He suspected toxic plants including nightshades could be to blame for the baby spinach contamination. Touching the plant can cause dermatitis, nausea and headaches in some people. “As per our original advice on 15 December, no other Riviera Farms produce have been impacted by this weed. “By the time Riviera Farms baby spinach is re-introduced to market, it will be the safest, most audited spinach supply in Australia,” the company said.

Spinach-Eaters' Hallucinations Caused by Deadly Weed in Harvest (Bloomberg)

A plant that led almost 200 spinach-eaters to suffer delirium and hallucinations after finding its way into their shopping bags has been identified in ...

Weed responsible for hallucinogenic spinach recall identified (Otago Daily Times)

A weed at the centre of a Australian spinach recall that left almost 200 people ill has been identified. Riviera Farms says thornapple (Datura stramonium), ...

Australians who consumed the products were told to watch out for symptoms including delirium or confusion, hallucinations, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, flushed face, blurred vision and dry mouth and skin. Costco, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi have stripped Riviera Farm's products from their shelves and a recall has been issued. Almost 200 people have reported symptoms after eating the farm's baby spinach in recent weeks, including a child in Queensland who was admitted to hospital.

The peculiar history of thornapple, the hallucinogenic weed that ... (The Conversation AU)

Thornapple or jimsonweed and related plants have an interesting history – from an early asthma treatment to intoxicated British soldiers.

[henbane](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/) and inhaled its smoke as one of the earliest treatments for asthma. These are all classic symptoms of “ [anticholinergic poisoning](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534798/)”. Fortunately, the treatment of such exposures, once identified, is usually relatively straightforward. Titian’s [Woman with a Mirror](https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/belladonna.shtml) is thought to depict this. sitting up in a corner, like a monkey, grinning and making mows at them”. Fundamental as it is to our survival, it is hardly a surprise that any disturbance of its function results in fairly dramatic effects. One such outbreak was reported Occasionally some people deliberately consume them for their hallucinogenic effects, with misadventure requiring medical intervention not uncommon. This reflects the characteristic flushing, drying up of sweating and saliva, dilation of pupils, “altered mental state”, fever and, in some occasions, urinary retention. “Toxidromes” are patterns of symptoms that give medical responders clues to what agent might be responsible for a poisoning. [acetylcholine](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11143/) and its receptor. [mnemonic](https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Anticholinergic_Syndrome/)