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Re: The Curse of The Mummies

At 01:28 AM 11/30/97 +1100, you wrote:
>
>"New or highly speculative ideas are particularly encouraged,"-
>phamocognosy list.
>A deathly silence was heard
>Don't want to injure one's promotion prospects
>But:
>
>Last week a television show was aired on our SBS public television. I
>recommend the show if you can see it
>It made  a case for the ancient use of cocaine and nicotine in the embarming
>process  (perhaps).
>I was very, very sceptical at first but at least two scientists one in
>Germany one in Manchester (UK) have found Cocaine and Nicotine in the ancient
>mummified bodies.
> They have ruled out contamination (via the forensic hair test?)
>This of course poses more questions that it answers.
>The programe said that Nicotine could only come from tobacco found only  in
>the "New World".
>I don't think this is true. They have overlooked Betel Nut (?)which is
>widely available in Africa.

I believe that nicotine is found in significant quantities only in the
Solanaceae.

>But cocaine?
>The South American Indians say the leaves are fairly useless after four weeks;
> so even if you could ship the leaves to Egypt 4000 years ago would there
>be anything active left?
>Are cocaine type compounds found in other plants (alcoholic extract of
>some lotus???).
>Can cocaine type compounds form from the decomposion of some other compound?

Not very likely.  Alkaloids are easily degraded by oxidation or are quickly
broken down by microflora and microfauna to simple compounds for
reassimilation as nitrogen sources (proteins, nucleotides, etc.)

>You must see this programme it is facinating
>It is not Chariout if the Gods stuff
>
>
>Michael Bailes,  The Fragrant Garden Portsmouth Road Erina. N.S.W. 2250
>Australia.

Michael:

The nicotine is plausible, since there are Nicotiana species thast are
native to Africa.  The most potent sources of nicotine are the American
species, especially N. rustica.

The cocaine source is another matter entirely.  Alkaloids usually are highly
specific to a few related species in a genus, if not to a single species or
taxon.  Unless there is a closely related African relative to  Coca, it's
not likely.

Rich Dufresne
former tobacco scientist and current Salvia collector
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