Jake paralysis

Jake paralysis was neuropathycaused by drinking a Jamaican ginger extract (commonly called ?jake?) diluted with an industrial chemical known as triorthocresyl phosphate (TCP or TOCP).

Jakehad been legally sold for medicinal purposes since the Civil War. Because it was about 70% alcohol, it was widely used during prohibitionin the U.S. (1920-1933) as a means of legally consuming alcohol. (Contrary to common belief, the consumption of alcohol was legal during prohibition; it was the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages that was prohibited.)

However, in 1930, the manufacturer of jake decided to water down the product with the cheap, tasteless, water-soluble TCP. The highly toxic result (one of the uses of TCP was as a pesticide) was that an estimated 50,000 people in the US were temporarily or permanently paralyzed.

The paralysis was called commonly jake foot or jake leg because the neuropathy caused victims to walk in a distinctive manner. The muscles that permit a person to raise the toes were paralyzed, so victims had to raise their feet high so as not to drag their feet. As they stepped, their toes would come down first followed by a jarring ?thud? sound caused by the drop of the heels.

The phenomenon was even reflected in popular music. Although victims? hands were also paralyzed, the effect was not so dramatic.

Sources

• Kidd, J. G, and Langworthy, O. R. Jake paralysis. Paralysis following the ingestion of Jamaican ginger extract adulterated with triortho-chesyl phosphate. Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1933, 52, 39.
• Morgan, John P. and Tulloss, Thomas C. The Jake Walk Blues: A toxicological tragedy mirrored in popular music. JEMF (John Edward s Memorial Foundation) Quarterly, 1977, 122-126.
• Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S.

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake+paralysis Wikipedia article Jake paralysis.