HankKimball Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bernard Wrote:
> > I am Quetzalcoatl.
> >
> > The bottom line: 1) the traces of nicotine
> are
> > explained by the trace amounts of nicotine
> that
> > are found in food plants consumed by the
> Egyptians
> > and 2) the traces of cocaine are so small
> that
> > their presence is due to the range of
> experimental
> > error in the methods used by Balabanova et
> al.
> >
> > Bernard
>
> No offense intended, because I don't know your
> chemistry background, but in order to do what you
> propose, you will have to prove that the amount in
> question is below the Minimum Detectable Limit
> (MDL) and not simply below the Minimun
> Quantifiable Limit (MQL) of the analytical method
> used . Natuarlly, the MDL is normally lower than
> the MQL. A level above the MDL, yet below the MQL,
> simply indicates that the analyte is present, but
> the concentration cannot be estimated owing to the
> natural limits of that method. These are the two
> critical measures in analytical chemistry that you
> will have to look at in the literature. Good
> luck.
>
> PS. I believe that eggplant contains nicotine. I
> know eggplant was probably first domesticated in
> India or to the east. However, it has a strong
> presence in Anatolia too. I don't know if that
> could be a potential alternative source in your
> study.
>
I won't deal with claims about nicotine since everybody agrees that the presence and concentrations are consistent with dietary sources.

Balabanova et al (subsequently BA) reported the presence of cocaine in seven artificially mummified Egyptian mummies dating from 1070 BC to 395 AD (i.e 1400 years). The concentrations are extremely low ranging from 0.20 to 0.024 nanogram/mg (BA reported these as ng/g which seems to make them 1000 times more than the standard reporting form ng/mg). For comparison, Cartmell found cocaine in Peruvian mummies up to 14 ng/mg; modern chewers get about 20 ng/mg.

If you look at the literature you find that BA's concentrations are at or below what are considered to be positive for the presence of cocaine.

Osterloh, J.D. and Becker, C. E. 1990 “Chemical Dependency and Drug Testing in the workplace,” Western J. Med. 152:506-513

Jenkins, A. J. 2003 “Forensic Drug Testing,” in B. Levine, ed. Principles of Forensic Toxicology pp. 31-46 Am. Assoc. Clinical Chemists Press

p. 35 Table 1 Cut off concentrations and reporting requirements DHHS accredited laboratories
radioimmunology screen GC/MS confirm
cocaine metabolite 300 ng/mL 150 ng/mL
benzoylecgonine
0.3 ng/mg [BOM] 0.15 ng/mg [BOM]
%%%%%%%%
Kline, J., et al. 1997 “Cocaine Use during Pregnancy: Sensitive Detection by Hair Assay,’ Am. J. of Public Health 87(3): 352-358

2ng/10mg hair considered positive, i.e. 0.2 ng/mg

%%%%%%%%%%
Skender, L. et al. 2002 “Quantitative Determination of Amphetamines, Cocaine, and Opiates in Human hair by Gas chromatography/Mass Spectrometry,: Forensic Science International,” 125: 120-126

Limit of detection analysis of cocaine = 0.20 ng/mg
%%%%%%%%%
Kintz, P. and Mangin, P. 1995 “What constitutes a positive result in hair analysis: proposal for the establishment of cut-off values,” Forensic Science International 70: 3-11.

Cut-off value cocaine 1ng/mg down to 0.5 ng/mg when other evidence available
%%%%%%%%%%%

Just as important is the fact that no one has been able to replicate BA's results.

BA found no cocaine in Sudanese mummies (5-4000BC); German Bell Culture (2500 BC); China (3700 BC)

When BA published and was featured in a TV program Rosalie David, the curator of mummies at the Manchester Museum and an expert on Egyptian mummies, was asked to replicate BA's results
she confirmed the presence of nicotine but found NO cocaine in her mummies. David, subsequently, set up a research project to develop methodologies and to test for intoxicants in mummies. Here is a quote from the resulting book

Counsell, D. C. 2008 "Intoxicants in Ancient Egypt? Opium, nymphea, coca, and tobacco," pp. 195-215 In David, A. R. ed. Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

p. 212 “In 1994, as a result of the 'cocaine mummies' television documentary, seven samples (six tissue and one of hair), taken from mummies in the Manchester Museum Collection, were sent for analysis at the Medical Toxicology Laboratory at Guy's and St. Thomas Hospital in London, U.K. Three of these samples tested positive for nicotine and none for cocaine. Concentrations levels were not reported.” Counsell goes on to say that all the positives for nicotine were three "disarticulated heads of unknown provenance". Further investigation found that 2 were from G. Elliott Smith's collection and natural not artificial mummies.
. . .
Further down on p. 213 “In addition to the seven aforementioned samples, hair, bone and tissue samples have been tested from a variety of mummies in the Manchester and Leiscester collections. These include four mummies from Manchester: Asru (No. 1777, Thebes, c. 700 B.C.), Nekht-Ankh (no. 21470, Rifeh, c. 1900 B.C.), No 1770 (Ptolemaic Period, c. 300 B.C.) and No. 1766 (Fayoum, c. 100-200 A.D.) and four mummies from Leiscester. To date, none have tested positive for cocaine, using methanol solvent extractions of tissue samples, tested using GCMS to a sensitivity of 0.1microgram/mg of material.
If the theory of transatlantic trade were correct, surely the results obtained by either Cartmell or Manchester would corroborate the discovery of cocaine in at least one of the Egyptian mummies that have been tested by these teams. this lack of results suggests that either Balabanova and her associates are misinterpreting their results or that the samples of mummies tested by them have been mysteriously exposed to cocaine.”

Counsell refers to a paper by Cartmell (the discoverer of cocaine in Peruvian mummies) who made a special trip to Egypt to test mummies for cocaine

Cartmell, L.W. and Cheryl Weems 2001 “Overview of Hair analysis: A Report of Hair analysis from Dakleh Oasis, Egypt,” Chungará (Arica) 33(2): 289-292

14 of 18 mummies from Dahkleh Oasis, Egypt tested positive for nicotine and none contained cocaine.

Here are 2 attempts to replicate Balabanova and both failed to do so. Science requires the ability for independent replications of claims.

If we assume that actually BA is correct you still have a problem explaining an amount of coca leaves (brought from the New World in round trip voyages of about 30,000 miles using reed boats) that could provide a wide range of Egyptians (BA mummies were NOT pharaohs) with coca to chew for a period of 1400 years.


BTW I have a PhD in chemistry

Bernard