Why would someone eat this?

[erugs]

from the National Parks report, "Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (AK) NPS And Parks Canada Rangers Rescue Poisoned Hikers....five hikers were evacuated from the Chilkoot Trail by helicopter and treated for poisoning....While backpacking 13 miles into the Chilkoot Trail, five hikers consumed varying small amounts of the root bulb of the highly toxic false hellebore (Veratrum viride)....Although only the person who ate the most had serious symptoms (vomiting and intestinal problems), all five felt minor burning sensations in their mouths and throats and also had gas....The park's trail center helped...to coordinate a helicopter evacuation....When they arrived in Skagway, the most serious patient was in critical condition and a second began to present with symptoms. All five were treated and the three asymptomatic hikers were released that same night. The two symptomatic patients were...transported to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, for further treatment and evaluation [and] were released two days later."

So, my question is: We've all seen False Hellebore along the trail here in New England -- does this plant look like something someone would consider eating?

 

[Little Rickie]

Does it say anything about: their mental state, were the lost, desperate, how long they were out, hypothermic or did someone in their group think they were good food(my guess)?

 

[erugs]

I couldn't find out much more. From personal experience in having hiked the Chilkoot Trail, this is not a hike one does casually. You have to have permits and are required to be at specific campsites for specific nights. It's a lovely trail, by the way, and very historically interesting. The hikers mentioned only got as far as Sheep Camp. My favorite was after we passed into Canada and arrived at Happy Camp.

 

[Jay H]

Getting lost is not likely unless one was purposefully off the trail and it is also fairly popular, with the designated campsites and the permit you need to get into Canada. It's not likely they were "hungry" as you'll see a lot of other backpackers on the trail and in camp, I'm sure if hunger was a problem, they could beg or borrow food/fuel, etc.

Happy Camp is awesome, the views when you get over the border was great. Happy camp was the first night, I slept outside with just my sleeping bag and was rewarded with a fabulous array of stars..

Jay

 

[erugs]

I remember when we were at the border crossing and, as slower hikers just enjoying our journey, were a bit surprised when the Mountie saw us and said, "Ellen and Brian" -- more of a statement of our arrival than a question asking if that was who we were.

 

[dug]

Isn't that the same thing that Alexander Supertramp ate, which they think actually killed him? It looks like another edible plant?

 

[erugs]

Isn't that the same thing that Alexander Supertramp ate, which they think actually killed him? It looks like another edible plant?

I don't think so. According to a review of the book, Into the Wild:

"...he reports that he is starving and can hardly move. He blames potato seeds, though some believe he confused a wild potato plant with a poisonous sweet pea. Krakauer reported originally in his magazine article that this was the likely cause of death, but later revised his statement in the book against such a conclusion. It had been months since McCandless started eating the wild potato plant and it was unlikely that he would make the mistake after so long. He had long been eating the rest of the potato plant and not gotten sick, so probably assumed the seeds were okay as there was no reference anywhere stating otherwise. Krakauer tests the seeds at the University of Alaska and finds swainsonine alkaloid, a substance that stops the human body from turning food into usable energy. It cause starvation regardless of how much you eat. It’s possible to overcome the poison but because McCandless was already so low on necessary sugars and protein, he could not flush it free and likely succumbed to the seed."

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Isn't that the same thing that Alexander Supertramp ate, which they think actually killed him? It looks like another edible plant?

Krakauer originally suggested that McCandless ate the root of Hedysorum alpinum (wild potato), which is ok in spring, but perhaps not the seeds, which contain toxic alkaloids, like swainsonine. However, these toxins were not found in the potatoes in the lab, so Krakauer later suggested that McCandless ate mold from Rhizoctonia leguminicola. However, I think most believe that McCandless simply starved to death, as he was down to 67 pounds.

 

[dug]

Thanks folks, I just got lazy there....

Heard Chilkoot Trail, possible plant poisoning, made a connection.....

 

[jbrown]

After about 15 minutes of research online, it appears that young shoots of skunk cabbage resemble false hellbore very closely.

While the false hellbore is extremely poisonous, the skunk cabbage is semi-edible with some preparation. It does contain calcium oxalate which will cause burning in the mouth, some say it can be removed by cooking, but this is up for debate. I've never tried it, and I don't intend to. I don't even like sauerkraut. The root has been called the "Indian Potato" and apparently can be made suitable for eating by drying first.

Perhaps the hikers thought they were eating "Indian Potatoes" and were consuming false hellbore instead. Thankfully nobody was killed. This is one good reason that I don't mess with mushrooms in the woods (that, and I don't like mushrooms...)

 

[erugs]

After about 15 minutes of research online, it appears that young shoots of skunk cabbage resemble false hellbore very closely.

Perhaps the hikers thought they were eating "Indian Potatoes" and were consuming false hellbore instead. Thankfully nobody was killed. This is one good reason that I don't mess with mushrooms in the woods (that, and I don't like mushrooms...)

Thanks. Hmmmmm. Maybe, since the whole group was somewhat ill, they were trying to mimic they they thought the earlier travellers of this route were doing and eat off the land?

 

[SAR-EMT40]

After about 15 minutes of research online, it appears that young shoots of skunk cabbage resemble false hellbore very closely.

While the false hellbore is extremely poisonous, the skunk cabbage is semi-edible with some preparation. It does contain calcium oxalate which will cause burning in the mouth, some say it can be removed by cooking, but this is up for debate. I've never tried it, and I don't intend to. I don't even like sauerkraut. The root has been called the "Indian Potato" and apparently can be made suitable for eating by drying first.

This was my thought as well. Skunk cabbage is edible, though pretty much unpalatable. It is considered a last ditch survival food. Classes on survival/wild food warn about similar looking Hellebore. It doesn't look at that similar to the trained eye and it is very poisonous and cannot be made un-poisonous as far as I know.

My thought is that it was a group trying to do some wild edibles without getting much knowledge first. I could be wrong of course.

Keith

 

[el-bagr]

My favorite thing about false hellebores in Veratrum: some species contain cyclopamine and other toxic teratogens. When pregnant mammals eat these plants, their children often become cyclops. No joke!

 

[jbrown]

My thought is that it was a group trying to do some wild edibles without getting much knowledge first.

That was one of my first thoughts as well. I've tried some wild edibles in the wild (I just re-read that, wild in the wild, how odd...) but have only done so with a sufficient knowledge base and some experience before hand. I know that I have more experience and knowledge on the subject than many of my close hiking friends, but I also know that there are many more people on VFTT who have vastly greater knowledge about edible flora than I.

Best idea? Learn from someone who knows and don't get ahead of yourself. That's my 2 pennies worth.

Very interesting information about the "cyclops" generations. One note concerned me that made the article suspect in my mind, did you notice the reference to the "Sonic the hedgehog pathways" in there? What's that about?

 

[DougPaul]

One note concerned me that made the article suspect in my mind, did you notice the reference to the "Sonic the hedgehog pathways" in there? What's that about?

That is the name of a gene. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_hedgehog

Genes are often given rather fanciful names...

Doug

 

[Jay H]

My favorite thing about false hellebores in Veratrum: some species contain cyclopamine and other toxic teratogens. When pregnant mammals eat these plants, their children often become cyclops. No joke!

Aha, learn something every day!

Jay

 

[Maddy]

I think perhaps the best thing to do is to be sure you have plenty of Hawk Vittles in your pack and leave the vegetation and roots for the wildlife.

 

[jbrown]

That is the name of a gene. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_hedgehog

Genes are often given rather fanciful names...

Doug

Ha! Thanks for clearing that up! I can picture some stoner sitting in class when the professor broaches this subject and brings up the Sonic hedgehog homolog gene.

"Woah! Duuuude! Like Sonic the Hedgehog? No WAY! SEGA!!!"

 

[Elizabeth]

Druggies?

What initially occurred to me is that the false hellebore eaters already knew that the bulbs were poisonous; but didn't know how the poison operated. I'm wondering if they were hoping for some kind of hallucinagenic trip, like with certain species of mushrooms. Or maybe it was a cult initiation rite. We'll probably never know, since I doubt they would admit to it now.

 

[Little Rickie]

What initially occurred to me is that the false hellebore eaters already knew that the bulbs were poisonous; but didn't know how the poison operated. I'm wondering if they were hoping for some kind of hallucinagenic trip, like with certain species of mushrooms. Or maybe it was a cult initiation rite. We'll probably never know, since I doubt they would admit to it now.

or it was just a ignorant dumb thing to do.