Locoweed: over 100 years of mystery
May 5, 2009Everyone knows that when cows eat locoweed, then they done stampede.* But apparently, it was once believed that locoweed would drive humans permanently insane as well.
Am J Psychiatry, Oct 1898; 55: 275 - 281.
The article goes on to cite various medical sources refuting the popular belief that locoweed could cause insanity in humans. Doctors are such killjoys.
*This knowledge was popularized by the semi-famous “Pome” written in the 1990s by an obscure poet going only by the name of Sam: “The cows done et the locoweed and then they done stampeded. Ah hollered, ‘Git the shotgun, Pa!’ but they’d already trampled Ma.”
Oh shit, I still remember that “pome” in its’ entirety and it has been taking up neural real estate for over 10 years now, how disturbing. A violent and melancholy madness, huh? Sounds like experiences from the past . . .
Comment by BiblioFemme — May 6, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
“They’s Hicks!”
Oh, the memories of summer school physics and poor Dr. whatever-his-name-was.
Comment by Karen — May 7, 2009 @ 7:56 am
Johansen! or Johanson? Is that even right??
Comment by Karen — May 7, 2009 @ 8:00 am
The question is . . . who remembers Sahara Sam’s Pita Bread?
Comment by BiblioFemme — May 9, 2009 @ 11:50 am
Uh, it won’t make you go dead… or something like that, right?
And yes, I believe it it was Johansen. Definitely some variant of that name. I think he was actually Dr. Jo-whatever, too. I wonder what happened to that poor, twitchy little man.
Comment by R. Batty — May 9, 2009 @ 8:41 pm