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From: ins_ampm@jhunix.UUCP (Michael P McKenna)
Newsgroups: net.rumor
Subject: Re: Killer Apples
Message-ID: <1967@jhunix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Feb-86 17:09:17 EST
Article-I.D.: jhunix.1967
Posted: Fri Feb 21 17:09:17 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 21:16:50 EST
References: <3012@pesnta.UUCP> <410@oracle.UUCP> <1019@burl.UUCP>
Reply-To: ins_ampm@jhunix.ARPA (Michael P McKenna)
Distribution: net
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Computing Ctr.
Lines: 29

In article <1019@burl.UUCP> rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) writes:
>In article <410@oracle.UUCP> aoki@oracle.UUCP (Don Aoki) writes:
>>Of the seeds listed above, almonds contain the greatest amount of
>>amygdalin, the most important cyanogenetic glycoside.  It is said that
>>it would take 50-70 of them to kill an adult; therefore the number
>>of apple seeds constituting a fatal dosage would be higher.  Probably
>>about a cupful.
>>
>If you mean 50-70 almonds, then I'm already dead several times over.
>I've been known to down 2-3 *pounds* of almonds over the course of
>a couple of hours when I used to visit my father in California -- he'd
>have the 10-pound bag of fresh [unroasted, unsalted, un-everything-but-tasty]
>almonds and I'd go nuts...er...crazy.
>
>*Sigh*.  Another rumor sadly disposed of.  When are we going to get the
>rumor that we all laugh at that turns out to be true two weeks later?
>I'm beginning to think you guys aren't too well placed in your respective
>corporations/schools -- get out there and dig up some *real* dirt!

Well actually I'm pretty sure that this is in fact true.  However different
types of almonds contain different amounts of amygdalin.  The 50-70 figure
refers to bitter almonds (in fact the amygdalin is why they are bitter).
Anyone who could eat 50+ of these at one time probably deserves to die :-)

                                               
                                                         Dwight S. Wilson


"You Warren?  You're the 'they' in 'That's what they say.'?"