# Can you hurt yourself with spice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684 "2003-02-26T17:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/21 "2003-02-26T22:42:37Z")
I’m amazed. Not one Spice Girl or Gautemalan insanity pepper joke. SDMB is becoming downright stodgy. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/22 "2003-02-26T23:47:18Z")
“The merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango! Grown in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum!" \ According to my research for an undergraduate field botany class, nutmeg, when taken in large doses (4-5 tablespoons) is a hallucinogen. Its effects last for days, and can include nausea, insomina, halucinations, paranoia, delusions, and other fun side effects. But that’s propably already been covered on the SDMB 🙂 \ ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/23 "2003-02-27T00:18:59Z")
I once was at a restaurant where I managed to squirt myself in the eye with hot sauce _three times in a row_. :smack:Ow!:smack:Ow!:smack:Ow! Was barely back from the bathroom for a minute both times. I was ok (at least as much as a guy who could do that can be) after a day; still can’t believe myself! ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/24 "2003-02-27T02:59:57Z")
Mailbag article that touches on a few of the questions asked: “Are birds immune to hot pepper, enabling them to eat vast amounts and spread the seeds?” [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mchili.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mchili.html) He mentions that capsaicin doesn’t actually burn your tongue, it stimulates the nerve endings to send signals that are interpreted by your brain as pain. So while I’m sure you could do damage with massive doses, the average meal (even one that makes the waiters in a Thai restaurant hide behind furniture as they watch you) shouldn’t cause any physical damage to your mouth, unless the food itself has been served extremely hot (temperature, not spice). ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/25 "2003-02-27T04:16:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aurelian \* > \*\*“The merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango! Grown in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum!" > > \ > > According to my research for an undergraduate field botany class, nutmeg, when taken in large doses (4-5 tablespoons) is a hallucinogen. Its effects last for days, and can include nausea, insomina, halucinations, paranoia, delusions, and other fun side effects. But that’s propably already been covered on the SDMB 🙂 > > \ \*\* Does it cause brain damage or anything permenant? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/26 "2003-02-27T04:31:48Z")
> [@](#): > > He mentions that capsaicin doesn’t actually burn your tongue, it stimulates the nerve endings to send signals that are interpreted by your brain as pain. So while I’m sure you could do damage with massive doses, the average meal (even one that makes the waiters in a Thai restaurant hide behind furniture as they watch you) shouldn’t cause any physical damage to your mouth, unless the food itself has been served extremely hot (temperature, not spice). Thank you! Great GQ answer! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/27 "2003-02-27T04:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by viking \* > \*\*Um. how heavy is this hypothetical victim? If they’re 80kg (170ish pounds), you’d need 40grams, which is closer to a table spoon than a cup, no? \*\* You’re right, my mistake. About 3 tablespoons, I’d guess. According to [this page](http://comexa.com/tech/driedhab.htm), dired habanero has a capsaicin concentration of 6400 ppm, or 0.64%. So it takes about 6 kilograms (14 pounds) of dired habanero to kill someone. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/28 "2003-02-27T04:38:25Z")
14 pounds is a shitload of chili. I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with my victim! Peeeeeeeee-uuuuuuuu! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/29 "2003-02-27T05:01:44Z")
A friend of mine in college worked for a company that made gourmet spice mixes. He worked in the mixing room. His sage advice to me is to never, ever take a piss after handling large amounts of cayene pepper. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/30 "2003-02-27T05:10:40Z")
FYI- For what it si worth My husband worked at a Supermax prison facility and he used chemical agents quite frequently. As Unit Manager, he was tasked with determining applicable force. He told me he used a substance, at rare times, called “fox fire” that had 5 million SHU’s. He had one inmate he said that opened his mouth and caught the regular OC (1 million SHU’s) in his mouth, gargled it and spit it back at him (hitting the door for any of you concerned about my husband). So, I think alot of it may be about tolerance. According to him, some people are totally resistant to OC and it does nothing to them. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/31 "2003-02-27T05:11:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > \*\*A friend of mine in college worked for a company that made gourmet spice mixes. He worked in the mixing room. His sage advice to me is to never, ever take a piss after handling large amounts of cayene pepper. > > Haj \*\* _Sage_ advice. Nice punwork! Hehe. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/32 "2003-02-27T05:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*_Sage_ advice. Nice punwork! Hehe. \*\* Your flattery isn’t going to curry any favors from me! Haj ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/33 "2003-02-27T05:26:02Z")
Ok, I’ll make a dill with you…you stop peppering us with puns, and I’ll babysit anise for you some night. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/34 "2003-02-27T05:36:26Z")
Please stop. I don’t have the thyme for this right now. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/35 "2003-02-27T05:43:25Z")
You’re right, I mint to stop earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/36 "2003-02-27T05:53:35Z")
C’mon guys. Stop salting my thread. Its completely peppered with puns. I’m so lost I don’t know if I’m cumin or goin’. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/37 "2003-02-27T05:58:21Z")
This is definitely one for the ar_chives_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/38 "2003-02-27T05:58:55Z")
Well, like Scarlett O’Hara said after her house burned down, “Where has tarragon?” Ok, I’ll be more ginger in the future. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/39 "2003-02-27T07:08:55Z")
As this thread has now appearantly fallen to shit I’d like to share my spice story. About 30 years ago I was laying around the house thinking I’d like a little **action** that night. Suddenly I remembered we had a bottle of cinnamon oil or cinnamon extract (anyway it was liquid) so I slathered a generous amount on **the boys**. The next 30 minutes were spent sitting in the bathtub with a steady stream of cold water running on the raging brush fire. Ms Hook found the whole thing to be a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684/40 "2003-02-27T07:22:07Z")
Cross Country trip to Minneapolis in the fall of 1999. We were operating out of Fargo. After the race, we went to the Mall of America. There was a spice shop there or some such, and a member of the team got a thing of habanero hot sauce. On the way back, we’d test each other to see how much we could handle. No water in the van. Ouch. However, the kicker is that the fucker put some on my lower lip when I fell asleep. I never considered him my friend, anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-hurt-yourself-with-spice/157684.md?page=3)