Thanks. That does lead to some interesting stuff ... still very inconclusive, though ... for example:
The convulsant properties of thujone
Mouse - Convulsive dose 590 mg/kg body weight
The thujone content of absinthe is between 10 and 45 mg/kg. Pretty tough to drink enough to reach convulsive level.
From another site
Chemicals that cause convulsions
absinthe ... acetylsalicylic acid ... caffeine ... camphor ... carbon dioxide ... cedar oil ... diphenhydramine ... eucalyptus oil ... fluorides ... methyl salicylate ... nicotine ... oxygen (100%, 3 atm) ... quinine ... resorcinol ... rosemary oil, saffron, sage (oil of) ... Vitamin D.
It appears that even though there has been some modern research much of it is still inconclusive and a whole lot of it is tied to and quotes heavily from turn of the century hysteria. I think this is probably one of those emotionally charged areas where a “real” answer is going to be extremely difficult to find.
And thanks to those who provided personal insight. That’s the sort of thing I was hoping to hear about. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]