nutmeg psychosis


nutmeg psychosis

An acute psychiatric disorder featuring agitation, hallucinations, excitement, thought disorder, a sense of impending death, brought on by the ingestion of one to three whole nutmegs or and equal number of teaspoonsful of grated nutmeg. Nutmeg from the tree Myristica fragrans is a toxic substance, which, in a dosage of as little as 5 g, may cause flushing, fast pulse, fever, dry mouth, amphetamine (amfetamine)-like effects and the ingestion of large quantities of fluid to the point of water overload and even epileptiform seizure.