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[Doc Lisenby <longdistshtr@shtc.net>]

About the story of the brave soul who proved that "love apples" weren't poisonous;  Unless there was an Italian who did the same thing, there was a dude named  Robert Johnson who in 1820 did this at the Salem County Courthouse in New Jersey according to my toxicology lesson plan of 1982.   I used to tell my students that he got the idea after a trip to the South and was treated to a 'mater samich'  laced with Dukes Mayonnaise in Charleston, SC.  It is hard to believe that sailors hadn't been exposed to tomatoes during their trips to South America and some Italian hadn't made some "gravy" with them.  After all, "Marinara" implies  "marine style" (no meat).

By the way poke berries don't  poison me and I  have demonstrated this several times.  Of course I like to eat  those Philippine embryonic egg delights called "baloops". ( Especially after a night of liberty drinking San Miguel (sp.)Beer.)  Some individuals may be susceptible to experiencing toxicity when they eat certain things as has been mentioned.  Favism is a classic example.  Some folks can't even breath Fava Bean pollen without experiencing toxic effects and their ingestion of the bean may be fatal.

Doc Lisenby