SYNTHESIS : To a solution of 0.033 g 6-methoxytryptamine in 3.5mL 0.1 N HCl, there was added 0.011 glycolaldehyde and the mixture washeated on the steam bath for 1.5 h. The solution was then made basicwith 10 mL 0.5 N NaOH, and extracted with Et2O on a continuousextractor. The Et2O extracts were pooled, dried over solid KOH, thesolvent removed under vacuum. The residue was an oil that crystallizedto give a solid, mp 170-175 °C, presumably a hydrate of1-hydroxymethyl-7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-b-carboline. This wastreated with 2.5 mL 90% H3PO4 and heated on the steam bath for 2h. After dilution with H2O, this was made alkaline with aqueous NaOHand extracted with Et2O. The pooled extracts were stripped of solventunder vacuum, and the residue distilled to give a fraction (bp 120-140at 0.001 mm/Hg) that weighed 0.027 g (72%). MS (in m/z): Parent ion-1, parent ion, 213, 214 (100%, 89%); 198 (29%); 201 (23%); 170 (22%);173 (19%). IR (in cm-1): 817, 832, 916, 1037, 1139, 1172. Harmalinehydrochloride dihydrate; IR (in cm-1): 820, 841, 992, 1022, 1073,1137.
There is a little bit of interesting history connected with themelting point of harmaline. A report appeared that described analkaloid from
Peganum harmala that looked like harmaline but whichmelted 18 °C too high, and so it was thought to be an isomer andwas given the name harmadine. This was all cleared up a few yearslater when it was observed that on an open melting point block,harmaline had a mp 242-244 °C (with beginnings of sublimation at189 °C) and harmadine had the values of 241-243 °C and 178°C. In a capillary tube, harmaline melted at 256°C and harmadineat 257 °C. So, harmadine is now a synonym for harmaline.
DOSAGE : 150 - 300 mg, orally
DURATION : 5 - 8 hrs
QUALITATIVE COMMENTS : (with 100 mg, orally) "I have tried thison two occasions, essentially without effect."
(with 150 mg, orally) "In an hour and a quarter, there was arapid-onset intoxication and I felt a little unstable. And a littlebit numb. There was an unusual shimmering, in my lateral vision when Iturned my head to the side. Everything was just a little bitdown. Music was pretty much normal but I was missing the higherfrequencies. Even light food sat heavily, and I wasn't too hungry (andI was remembering to watch what I eat, with this monoamineoxidasestuff). Sex was difficult -- probably due to some reducedsensations. I feel that this compound is unlikely to be attractive tomost people, as its major effects are an intoxication with a cloudingof thoughts and some disruption of musical relationships."
(with 175 mg, orally) "After about one hour I found myself becomingrelaxed and a bit sloppy. By the end of the second hour, I had peaked,and was pretty much at baseline after five hours. At the peak, threeareas of disturbance were obvious. There were obvious tracers -- whenlooking at a bright object, and moving your eyes to the side, theimage of the object lags in its leaving the visual field, and itleaves in the opposite direction. As to the auditory, it seemed as ifthe higher frequencies of music were attenuated, and the lowerfrequencies amplified. And as to touch, there is a definite numbing. Ihad no appetite, and the little I ate didn't taste particularlygood."
(with 200 mg, orally) "At about the two hour point I remember threethings. The first was the effort to bring into reality the visualimage of a face that was playing with my eyes-closed imagery. I gotthe mouth and, after a bit of work, I got the eyes. So I concentratedon the nose and it came into view, finally, but it was upsidedown. The second and third things were more easily defined. Nausea anddiarrhea. Fortunately they alternated. This is not my trip ofchoice."
(with 300 mg, orally) "I was in a psychotherapy environment, so therewas some suggestions and leading that influenced my responses. But Ihave great difficulty reliving my experience, in fact I don't rememberanything. I have only disconnected images. There is a girl -- me -- infront of a church on a dusty road, myself at communion, receiving theHost from an invisible hand at a grandiose alter. I feel that I amgoing crazy. Something inside. It is not anxiety. It is notdepression. It is some of each, plus irritation and disorientation. Iam dead but still have to come back to life. I am facing a reality ofmine that I cannot accept."
(with 400 mg, orally) "This is Fluka material, and has a nastytaste. I felt completely immobilized and sick to my stomach. Closedeyed visuals yielded native women, 'organic' colors and shapes, and ablack panther! I would like to do DMT and Harmaline together, but amput off by the nausea."
(with 500 mg, orally) "I took a half gram of pure synthetic harmalineafter fasting for over a day. The resulting nausea was greatlyattenuated after I vomited. At this dose there were intense andannoying visual disturbances, and complete collapse of motorco-ordination. I could barely stagger to the bathroom, and forsafety's sake locomoted by crawling. Tracers and weird visualripplings disturbed my sight with open eyes. With eyes closed, therewas eidetic imagery. It had no symbolic significance, just bothersomedisjointed sequences that lacked a relevant theme. They proceeded totransform so slowly (in comparison to the speed of my thought) thatthey were predictable and boring. Throughout the experience I just layhoping it would end soon. It did not seem as though I had encounteredintrapsychic material which was being expressed through somaticsymptoms. Rather, I felt that I was struggling to metabolize achemical disruption of my physiological functions. Although thesession was not enjoyable, I was satisfied at having educated myselfabout the effect produced by a penalty dose of this compound."
(with 2 g
Peganum harmala seeds, ground, in capsules) "No effects."
(with 5 g
Peganum harmala seeds, ground, in capsules) "At about 1:45tinnitus was obvious. At 2:00 precise movements were problematical andnystagmus was noticeable. Mild nausea and diarrhea, but no vomiting. Iwas sensitive to light and sound, and retired to a darkroom. Hallucinations were intense, but only with the eyes closed. Theyconsisted, initially, of a wide variety of geometrical patterns indark colors, getting more intense as time went on. They disappearedwhen the eyes were opened. Although the loose bowels and nausea werepretty constant through the first part of the trip, I was notafraid. It was as if the "fear circuits" in the brain had been turnedoff. The geometric shapes evolved into more concrete images, peoplesfaces, movies of all sorts playing at high speed, and animal presencessuch as snakes. It was like vivid and intense dreaming except that Iremembered most of it afterwards. In another hour things becamemanageable and I could go out in public. My sex drive was pleasantlyenhanced, and I slept very well."
(with 7 g
Peganum harmala seeds, ground, in capsules) "Very sick for24 hours."
(with 20 g
Peganum harmala seeds, as extract) "The is equivalent,probably, to a gram or so of the harmala alkaloids. This was ground upmaterial extracted with hot dilute lemon juice. Within a half hour, Ifound myself both trippy and sleepy. Then I became quitedisorientated, nauseous, and with an accelerated heart beat. I had thestrong sensation of moving backwards, drifting, with faint visualsunder my eyelids. Restraining the vomiting urge was an ongoingproblem. I could have gone out of body quite easily, except that I wascompletely anchored by the nausea. After about three hours, I knewthat it had peaked, and I went to sleep and experienced intense andstrange dreams. The entire experience was a conflict between trippingand being sick. I want to explore this more."
(with 28 g
Peganum harmala seeds, as extract) "I sat up late one nightdrinking gulp after gulp of tea from about an oz. of seeds,periodically adding more water and simmering. This process tookseveral hours, and though I had read up on harmaline, I didn't knowquite what to expect. Suddenly it hit me like a wall. It was startingto get light outside and as I shifted my gaze, zebra-like stripes oflight and dark spiraled off the perimeter of the windowsilhouettes. Every time I shifted my focus my visual field wouldshudder and swirl before settling down. This visual effect had aphysicality unlike those any other entheogen I'd experienced. Ratherthan patterns revealing greater order in sensation, these were wavesof chaos revealing no particular order and urging the mind to retreatfrom the disturbing realm of sensation. Accompanying this was apronounced auditory buzz. Lying down and closing my eyes I left thephysical symptoms behind and explored the vivid spontaneousimaginations evoked by this state. Unfortunately, it is getting light,which made it harder to shut out the distracting world of sensation. Iresolved to conduct future sessions in the night-time (and always in aquiet undisturbed place).
"A second trial was made at the same level. This time it came on veryfast. That tremendous buzz on the other side of which are the wondrousrealms of the subconscious. The most memorable impressions from thistrip were of weird animals. I imagined myself spinning on amerry-go-round of strange winged creatures. I started to feel verysick and negotiated my way to the bathroom to face the inevitable --voiding from both orifices simultaneously. It proved cathartic, andreleased me to experience the state more fully. I remember travelingto jungle-like places, full of imagery of vines, fountains, andanimals. Minutes seemed like hours as I roamed in thesespaces. Though the sensory effects were very disturbing when I got up,given high dose level, I could easily ignore my body when laying downand traveling in my mind."
EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY : Right off the bat, I must make anapology, in that I have commingled reports employing harmaline as asingle chemical, with reports employing seeds from
Peganumharmala. This is of course pharmacological nonsense in that harmalineis a pure chemical substance, whereas the seeds of the
P. harmalacontain harmine as well, along with a lot of other alkaloids thatcould well play some role in its psychopharmacology profile.
There is a valid reason for this commingling of the reports of theeffects of this chemical and plant, however. In many peoples' minds,the two materials are felt to be exclusively monoamineoxidaseinhibitors, and to be interchangeable. I recently read the followingbit of advice somewhere on the internet. "If you really want to getoff on 'shrooms, take some harmaline or Syrian Rue seeds along withthem." This one phrase embodies a number of popular myths in thepsychedelic drug subculture. Let me try to unravel this tangledknot.
Some drugs are metabolized by the removal of the needed aminefunction. This deamination results from the action of an enzyme systemthat is called a monoamineoxidase, or a MAO. If this enzyme system isinhibited, then the drug would be destroyed to a lesser extent, andwould have a greater potency. The material that protects the drugfrom this erosion is called a monoamineoxidase inhibitor, or aMAOI. As a result, some drugs that do not show any oral activity (suchas DMT) become available when the oxidizing enzymes are madedysfunctional by an inhibitor. This is the heart of the chapter Huascavs. Ayahuasca, where this argument is treated at length. But, there isa general inference that the MAOI is, itself, without action and thisis simply not correct. They might show some activity in that there area lot of dietary amines, some of them pretty toxic things, thatnormally do not bother us since our body defenses can destroythem. Take away that defense, and they can express their toxicity. ButI truly believe that there can be a complex spectrum ofpharmacological properties that are intrinsic to the inhibitingdrug. A goodly number of our prescription anti-depressants on themarket today have exactly this mechanism of action.
That is the reason for the presentation of the effects of harmaline byitself, and of
Peganum harmala seeds, just by themselves. They arevery different from one-another, although both can be pretty rough onthe body.
Now, I would like to reenter the qualitative comments mode, this timewith the use of harmaline or
Peganum harmala in conjunction with asecond drug. In some of these examples, the inhibitor was taken aheadof the actual tryptamine, as indicated by the time statement.
FURTHER QUALITATIVE COMMENTS :
WITH DMT
(with 20 mg harmaline and 55 mg DMT) "There was nothing for threehours, and then I became aware of some eyes-closed hypnogogicabstractions. The peak was slightly longer with adrenergic pushsomewhat more intense than what the mild psychic effects wouldsuggest. The come-down was equally drawn out. It all was certainlyless intense than when the DMT is smoked."
(with 50 mg harmaline, 60 mg DMT [20 min]) "No effects were notedexcept for perhaps a brief suggestion of some increase in motoractivity."
(with 80 mg harmaline, 40 mg DMT [60 min]) "There was quite a bit ofvisual activity. The onset was subtle, but the drop-off was quick."
(with 100 mg harmaline, 120 mg DMT [10 min]) "It was not until 80minutes into the experiment that it became clear that CNS effects wereoccurring. Initially this was felt as clarity of detail of everythingaround me followed by slight time distortion. There was no loss ofreality but closed eye imagery developed rapidly, later becomingpresent even with eyes open even though less intense. Images wereinitially very colorful consisting of sheets of patterns infinitelyrepeated with some gentle waviness, somewhat like looking through akaleidoscope. Deliberate shifting of attention was possible at alltimes and although gait was mildly affected it was possible to performany given task with concentration. There was no loss of identity orreality. Pupillary movements did not change the area of focus of my'sight', which was surprising. Images could be willfully dismissed asdesired with eyes open. Music became another world with headphones on,and 'Hearts of Space' albums easily became voyages which could beinterrupted at any desired point with eyes opening. The effects beganto recede at the two and a half hour point. The bright colors andpatterns had shifted to less intense scenery in a calm peacefulway. At no time was there any noticeable amphetamine jaw-clenching,hyperactivity, or restlessness. The entire episode had ended at thefour hour point leaving an intense feeling of happiness andamazement. Sleep was easy at five hours, and yet for the subsequent 30hours my concentration was noticeably impaired. There were no motorproblems or incoordination, yet short-term memory was significantlydisrupted, requiring deliberate concentration on minor things. At 38hours my mental condition seemed back to normal. The only criticism Imight make of this experience was that there seemed to be none of theinsight that I had experienced with TMA-2. This seems, however, to bea very psychologically safe experience for almost anyone and was veryenjoyable."
(with 150 mg harmaline, 35 mg DMT [20 minutes]) "Initial effects werenoted at 70 minutes, characterized by feelings of mild intoxicationfollowed by significant visual distortions and inability to focusthoughts. By two hours, colored patterning was present witheyes-closed but the images flashed through consciousness so quicklythat they could not be considered or analyzed. There as a pronouncedsensation of being cold that was difficult to change, despite a verywarm heating blanket. An interesting finding was that I was unable tovisually "picture" some desired scene. In other words, I couldverbally say that I wanted to visualize a forest, or a horse, or atree, but none of these items could be brought forward. The rapidflood of thoughts quickly became exhausting and there was a strongdesire to avoid all stimuli, including music, TV, or any othersounds. The effects began declining at the three-hour point and wereessentially gone at five hours. I am beginning to reach the conclusionthat DMT has few redeeming qualities. So far, it cannot compare withthe insight and clarity of thought which occur with some of thephenethylamines and phenylisopropylamines. This potent activity at the35 milligram level suggests that the 150 milligrams harmaline dose ishighly effective as an MAO blocker."
(with 150 mg harmaline, 80 mg DMT [20 min]) "At just about an hourinto it there was a rapid onset intoxication with some staggers anddifficult walking. During the next half hour, there were closed-eyevisuals along with nausea and a severe depression. I turned on all thelights in the room for security, although I do not like brightlights. I considered calling a friend on the phone, but then Irealized that nothing could reassure me at this point. IntellectuallyI knew that I was safe, but psychologically there was overwhelmingloss of self worth and a feeling of despair. This was a severego-smashing experience which might have been diagnosed as psychosisif a psychiatrist had been present. The effects lasted longer thananticipated, with a gradual return to normality at the fifth hour, andan hour later I slept. Despite the negative experience, the next day Irealized that I had viewed many aspects of my life with extraordinaryclarity and insight, and as a result of this experience I intend totry to change several of these personal flaws."
(with the extract of 3 g
Peganum harmala seeds, 40 mg DMT) "The DMTwas noticeably effective just over an hour following ingestion, and itbuilt up to a peak rather quickly. It stayed there for an hour, thendropped off. I would call the overall effect mild."
(with the extract of 5 g
Peganum harmala seeds, 20 mg DMT [0 min])"There was a feeling of aliveness and excitement, above and beyond theeffects of this amount of harmel seeds alone."
WITH 5-MeO-DMT
(with 70 mg harmaline, 10 mg 5-MeO-DMT [0 min]). "I felt changes inpressure around the eyes at 18 minutes, and there was a floatingfeeling when walking. I had peaked at an hour and a half, probably ata plus three, with no visuals, no emotionals, no intellectuals, nonegative, no positive. A little nausea. I am not sure why I am at a+++ but I am. By the 2 hour point I am coming down. At three hours, Inoticed a complete change of character, the harmaline was beginning tokick in. This grew in intensity for several hours, with quite a bit ofnausea. This was fully equivalent to 300 mg. harmaline alone, butwithout the physiological noise. At 12 hours I got a little sleep witha lot of dreams."
(with 80 mg harmaline, 10 mg 5-MeO-DMT) "This was conceptually veryactive. Extremely rewarding. Remarkable difference from the harmalinealone, or the tryptamine alone, neither of which would have beenactive taken this way, orally."
(with 150 mg harmaline, 25 mg 5-MeO-DMT [60 min]) "In about 15 minutesI began to feel the typical effects of 5-MeO-DMT, a gradually buildingemotion of solid, somewhat boiling, turbulent feeling. I began to feellike vomiting so I did so, several times. Waves of the inner feelingwould approach completely removing my awareness of the physical world,but it never reached that point as it does when I have smoked 12milligrams of 5-MeO-DMT alone. The experience was quite intense but Inever felt a great deal of fear. I consciously debated whether or notto smoke some 5-MeO-DMT in order to break through this 'middle' levelof experience into a complete transcendent state as I had experiencedin the past. But the complexities of asking for the pipe and managingto smoke it seemed too much, even with assistance. I abandoned theidea.
"I started to come 'down' into a more differentiated consciousness,and the first thing I felt was a powerful, aggressive sexualfeeling. I was not wearing any clothes and I spent a long time, overan hour, writhing around, occasionally uttering phrases of one orthree or four words of a very hostile and/or sexual nature. I remembersaying I hated my sitter (a female) and God, but it was quite clearthat it was the sexual/maternal image of the sitter that I hated assomething that I desired and felt dependent upon while resenting thatI needed something I did not have within myself. The next phase foundme physically calm and quiet. Finally, after four hours, I felt sleepyand comfortable. I ate well, and was in a good mood.
" I do not feel that taking a higher dose orally would necessarilyhave pushed me through to the state achieved by smoking because theonset was so, so slow. I don't think I'll repeat thiscombination."
WITH TMPEA
(with 150 mg harmaline, 200 mg TMPEA (2,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)[20 min]) "A very faint peripheral visual flicker was noted at 40minutes. By 80 minutes, a decrease in coordination was apparent andwalking required somewhat more attention than normal. Thisincoordination increased gradually, peaking at three hours. By thistime the visual latency characteristic of harmaline was pronounced(when rotating the head or gazing quickly in a different direction,the prior images exit the visual field in a multiple wave fashion in adirection opposite to the motion). At no time were there anydetectable effects on thought, and there was no open or closed-eyeimagery, with or without music. No effects were detectable at the fivehour point and sleep was easily achieved shortly thereafter. Insummary, there was nothing there that could not be explained by theharmaline alone.
WITH MESCALINE
(with 100 mg harmaline, 60 mg mescaline(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) [20 min]) "At two hours I was in apleasant state of physical relaxation, a fine sense of well being, andI found music most enjoyable. From then to the fourth hour, thoughtsflowed freely, and it became obvious that insight was a major part ofthis experience. Normally unconscious thoughts were easilyavailable. It was as if I could observe my mind in operation, as factswere weighed to form conclusions. By the sixth hour music was a thingof beauty, with the higher notes crisp and clear. The harmaline hasprobably worn off. Sleep at eight hours, and the next day was withoutany adverse effects. This was a remarkable experience, the insight ofTMA, and the relaxation of MDMA."
(with 150 mg harmaline, 100 mg mescaline [15 min]) "A stomach achedeveloped at about 45 minutes, followed by a mild nausea whichoccurred intermittently throughout the next six hours. I feltcomfortable, although there was a slight discoordination at about twohours. Walking was never a problem but did require more concentrationthan normal. Colors on the television were obviously more intense, andhighly saturated at this point and moderate photophobiadeveloped. Even a fire in the fireplace was distracting, and stereowas best enjoyed in the dark. Attempts at sleep did not work until theninth hour. Upon awakening there was a feeling of dehydration butotherwise no ill effects. Mild looseness of stools was present laterthat morning. Since experiments using only mescaline at doses between80 and 120 mg resulted in no CNS effects at all, it seems clear thatthe MAO blocking effects of the harmaline were crucial to thisexperience.
FURTHER EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY : There is a fascinatingunanswered question that I had to ask myself a little while ago. It isa question that, if ever answered accurately, just might throw theentire area of the pharmacology of harmaline into a delightfuldisarray. I received a small quantity of documented seeds of Syrianrue and I was curious to see, in my hands, what its alkaloid contentwas. This is, after all, a well known source rapidly increasing inpopularity as the inhibitor component of ayahuasca. So I ground a fewof them up in a mortar under DMF and carbonate, spun down the extract,dissolved a drop of it in a milliliter of 90:10 toluene/butanol, andshot a microliter into the GCMS. As expected, there were two majorpeaks, and an intriguing scatter of small things. The spectrum offirst was clearly that of harmaline, and of the second, that ofharmine. The literature is correct.
Then, to tidy up a bit and make absolutely sure of the relativeretention times, I decided to run standards from my referencecollection. Reference harmine gave the second peak with identicalretention time and MS spectrum. It was when I injected a sample of myreference harmaline that I got my surprise. Here, a sample ofE. Merck AG, Darmstadt yellow crystalline material labeledHarmalinhydrochlorid, was very much looking as if it was a mixture ofabout two parts harmaline and one part harmine. Only 70% pure? Wow.
Three explanations popped into mind. (1) Maybe the harmine was beinggenerated from harmaline, somehow, in my analysis. So I tried anotherreference sample, one recently purchased, and it gave a singlepeak. So it was not an artifact arising from some quirk of myanalytical process. (2) Maybe the Merck sample, which I had obtainedin the early 1960's (and of course I had no way of knowing how old itwas when I got it) had come from plant sources, maybe even
P. harmala itself. Maybe the analytical tools at the time wereinadequate to detect and identify this amount of harmine as animpurity. This is not comfortable, in that these two alkaloids werefirst isolated, and separated from one-another, from plant sourcessome 150 years ago. I am sure my sample is not that old. I am not surethat even E. Merck AG is that old. The tools of analysis have beenaround a long time. Anyway, I wrote to them, and they answered me withthe elliptical comment stating that they had never had harmaline intheir catalog, only harmine. And thus, they would have no way ofknowing what was in the bottle. Of course they could have distributedresearch samples of many things, of stuff that was never in theircatalog, but by replying in this way they are absolved of allguilt. And of all legal responsibility as well, of course. OK.
This leaves (3). Maybe over the years, harmaline spontaneously loses amolecule of hydrogen, and becomes harmine. Not an easy thing to reckonwith, chemically, but I am running out of possibilities. I was led toa comment that had been once made by a quiet hero of mine, BoHolmstedt in Sweden, concerning the analysis of an ancient sample ofplant material from
Banisteria caapi (now known as
Banisteriopsis caapi). The herbarium specimens he was lookingat had been collected by the 19th century plant explorer RichardSpruce in the Rio Negro area of South America and had, after a fewyears of storage in a moist and mildewy hut a few miles down river,been rediscovered and sent on to the Kew Botanical Museum where theyhad quietly rested for over a hundred years. When Holmstedt workedthem up some 30 years ago, he reported that the alkaloid content was0.4%. This was virtually identical to a newly collected, botanicallyverified specimen of
Banisteriopsis caapi which he analyzed atthe same time and found to contain 0.5% alkaloids. The latter materialcontained, as described by many authors, the main alkaloids harmine,harmaline and tetrahydroharmine. By contrast, the alkaloid content ofthe Spruce material consisted exclusively of harmine. It is open toquestion whether the samples collected by Spruce in 1853 originallycontained only harmine or, perhaps more likely, that harmaline andtetrahydroharmine have with time been transformed into the chemicallymore stable aromatic b-carboline harmine.
How can this enigma be answered? Put away a sample of pure harmaline,with its spectral identification, onto the shelf for 50 or 100 years,and then re-analyze it? Who knows, but what might be needed for thisconversion is heat, or a bit of iron catalyst, or some unknown speciesof South American mold. Acid is certainly known to promote thisoxidation. It would be very much worth while to answer this questionbecause some, perhaps much, of the results of human pharmacologicalstudies that involve harmaline as a metabolic poison, may beinfluenced by the independent action of harmine as a harmalinecontaminant.
If indeed the use of
Peganum harmala becomes increasingly popular as aharmaline source, some help might be useful for those who do not havebalances and need to call upon volumes instead. I decided to make anequivalency table between weights, and volumes, and quantities, andlaboratory numbers, and kitchen things, so that some consistency mightbe found in the measurement of the botanical materials that are beingused. In short, how heavy is something or how bulky is it? My startingpoint was the most frequently used tool that is mentioned,continuously, in the lay press dealing with drugs and drug use. It isthe teaspoon. How much stuff is there in a teaspoon? Just how big is ateaspoon? What is a teaspoon? Is it a small semi-spherical metal scoophanging from a ring that has other scoops of different dimensionsattached, that is found in the knife and cork-puller drawer in thekitchen? Or is it a schluppy thing, with an artistic handle on it,that adds sugar to your coffee and does the stirring? Do you heapstuff up on it, or do you level it off by smoothing it flat with yourfinger? The dictionary says that a teaspoonful contains exactly 1.333fluid drams. Oh wow! Let's look it up. You will discover that this isa total cop-out if you read the dictionary definitions of dram: (1)1.771 grams if you are using the avoirdupois system, or (2) 3.887grams if you are using the apothecaries system. So, how does anon-pharmacist person, without an analytical scale or an immediatecommand of the avoirdupois versus apothecaries vocabulary, measure awanted quantity of
Peganum seeds?
I would suggest using the following scale, remembering that with waterweights can be easily interchanged with volumes, since water has aweight that is equal to its volume. In both of these scales, the waterand the rue, the teaspoon is the small semi-spherical thing in thecork-puller drawer, leveled off:
---- This is for water ----
1 teaspoon water = 0.16 ounces (5 grams)
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon = 0.5 ounce (14 grams)
2 tablespoons = 1 ounce (28 grams)
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup = 2 ounces
16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 1/2 pint = 8 ounces
2 cups = 1 pint = 1 pound
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
or, as I had learned as a childhood rhyme; a pint's a pound, the worldaround.
You must remember, this volume thing has its own traps. When you startusing the volume measurement for things such as seeds, or bark, orleaves, or other biological things that are not of the density ofwater, they possess varying degrees of fluffiness, and the weightswill be less than the volumes. The Rosetta stone translation that isappropriate here is based on the fact that the
Peganum harmala seedsare just over half the density of water. And, since they may containfrom 2 to 6% its weight of alkaloids, the following equations areuseful:
---- This is for the seeds of Syrian rue ----
1 teaspoon rue seeds = 3 grams = 60-180 mg alkaloids
1 tablespoon rue seeds = 9 grams = 200-600 mg alkaloids
1 large (OO) gelatin capsule with ground rue seeds = 0.7 gram = 15-45mg alkaloids
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