[CH] Botulism
Shantihhh@aol.com
Thu, 1 Jul 1999 18:51:00 EDT
Not to drive the subject into the ground, but I've been there. While a
student a couple of years ago <g> in Spain my friend a teacher from Maryland
and I decided to have an ordinary type meal after living on Tapas and Paella
and we had a ham sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. The story was pretty
ugly. We fortunately had decided on a splurge as Spain was cheap (OK it was
more than a couple of years ago <g>) and we had a room w/private bath. Thank
God as we were in sad shape from every orifice possible only being able to
crawl from our beds to the lu.
I am not sure exactly how long we were in this condition as we both would
pass out as in coma I guess. I managed to crawl down to the post office to
get a message to my friend I was to meet in Paris that I wouldn't be there.
I was standing in line at the Palace of Communications in Madrid and the rest
is history--out cold. Emergency medical care for both my friend and I and we
survived. It wasn't pretty and a very close call, and we both had severe
after affects for years. I remember one thing they had us do was eat lotsa
lemons afterwards, don't know why.
So be careful and don't take unnecessary chances. I don't can tomatoes or
chiles, but I do freeze and pickle and dry. Our theory is if in
doubt--don't. I have thrown out all sorts of maybe fine things just to be on
the safe side. I must admit we don't refrigerate all our hot sauces after
they are opened----they don't in India, Thailand, or China or a host of other
places. What to do? Guess we are building up our stamina. You wouldn't
believe some of the things I have eaten in China, India, etc., but we won't
go there.
Mary-Anne