Master of Suspense
Michael Gochfeld
gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Wed Sep 25 07:38:46 EDT 2002
Ken,
1. OK, How did you come "across an interesting exception"
a. Review of scientific literature
b. personal experience with cabbage
c. clinical examination of excreta
d. participation in local NABA meeting
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
"Living in the human gut" implies that the caterpillars (and the cabbage)
evaded the stomach digestion process which should have yielded an acid slurry
by the time is passed into the duodenum. There are some medical conditions
(rapid gastric emptying) and surgical conditions (partial gastrectomy) which
would reduce or perhaps even eliminate the acid mixmaster through which
caterpillars would have to pass to "live" in the gut.
On the other hand "chewing your cabbage" seems to be a public health advice
with no obvious downside. MIKE GOCHFELD
Kenelm Philip wrote:
> > Butterflies don't "bite," "sting," foul our food, cause diseases, or buzz
> > in our ears...
>
> Today I came across an interesting exception to the above statement. It
> turns out that _Pieris rapae_ (Cabbage Butterfly) caterpillars have on
> occasion been found living in the human gut, "...taking up residence pre-
> sumably when its host eats raw or undercooked cabbage, and maintained by
> his continuing to do so in uncommon amounts." The author suggests chewing
> your cabbage thoroughly...
>
> Ken Philip
>
>
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