In an editorial in the British Medical Journal for December 18/25, 1999, three biochemists discuss the old question of absinthe and its killer potential. Such was its reputation early in the 20th century that many countries banned its sale, but it has since made something of a resurgence as the difficulty in acquiring it has diminished.
Absinthe, drawing its name from the title of the wormwood plant among the ancient Greeks and Romans, was introduced from Switzerland into France in the latter half of the 19th century, where it became part of "la vie de bohème" and the conventional time for indulging in its consumption became "l'heure verte" after the distinctive colour of the beverage. Almost all the artists of the time indulged in absinthe sessions, to their peril.
Traditionally, absinthe was treated with cold water and sugar to make a yellow opalescent liquid. It is recorded that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who delighted in breaking all rules, preferred his absinthe with brandy. The classical product was made from dried wormwood, anise and fennel, and contained 74 per cent of alcohol, but there were many variations in circulation.
The troublesome constituent of absinthe was the terpenoid thujone, which induces epileptiform convulsions and disturbances of heme synthesis. The gastrointestinal disturbances, auditory and visual hallucinations, brain damage and psychiatric disorders suffered by absinthe drinkers were long attributed to its wormwood content, but the national outcry which led to the banning of the drink in many countries was probably misguided. In fact, much of the problem of the absinthe drinker resulted from the vastly excessive consumption of alcohol itself. With the re-emergence of absinthe consumption in some quarters, it is considered that detailed studies are desirable to determine the relative roles played by alcohol and by thujone in the spectrum of effects produced by absinthe in consumers.