The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract.
Three young adult drug users obtained wild lettuce and valerian root, prepared a crude aqueous extract of the wild lettuce, and injected the extract i.v. One also injected an alcohol extract of the valerian root. All 3 rapidly became ill with fevers, chills, abdominal pain, flank and back pain, neck stiffness, headache, leucocytosis and mild liver function abnormalities, but recovered over the next 3 d. Various literature and internet sources claim that wild lettuce has opiate properties not demonstrated in this case.
Mullins
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ME
Oregon Poison Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA.
Horowitz
B Z
BZ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D014632:Valerian / Q000737:chemistry
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D010936:Plant Extracts