Jamaica ginger

When the price of castor oil increased in the latter portion of the 1920s, Harry Gross, president of Hub Products Corporation, sought an alternative additive for his Jamaica ginger formula. He discarded ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol as being too volatile, eventually selecting a mixture containing triorthocresyl phosphate (TOCP), a plasticizer used in lacquers and paint finishing. Gross was advised by the manufacturer of the mixture, Celluloid Corporation, that it was non-toxic.[3][6]

TOCP was originally thought to be non-toxic; however, it was later determined to be a neurotoxin that causes axonal damage to the nerve cells in the nervous system of human beings, especially those located in the spinal cord. The resulting type of paralysis is now referred to as organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy, or OPIDN.[7]

In 1930, large numbers of Jake users began to find they were unable to use their hands and feet.[8] Some victims could walk, but they had no control over the muscles which would normally have enabled them to point their toes upward. Therefore, they would raise their feet high with the toes flopping downward, which would touch the pavement first followed by their heels. The toe first, heel second pattern made a distinctive "tap-click, tap-click" sound as they walked. This very peculiar gait became known as the jake walk and the jake dance and those afflicted were said[9] to have jake leg, jake foot, or jake paralysis. Additionally, the calves of the legs would soften and hang down and the muscles between the thumbs and fingers would atrophy.

Within a few months, the TOCP-adulterated Jake was identified as the cause of the paralysis, and the contaminated Jake was recovered. But by that time, it was too late for many victims. Some did recover full, or partial, use of their limbs. But for most, the loss was permanent. The total number of victims was never accurately determined, but is frequently quoted as between 30,000 and 50,000. Many victims were immigrants to the United States, and most were poor, with little political or social influence. The victims received very little assistance.

Several blues songs on the subject were recorded in the early 1930s, such as "Jake Walk Papa" by Asa Martin, and "Jake Liquor Blues" by Ishman Bracey.[6]

Although this incident became well known, later cases of organophosphate poisoning occurred in Germany, Spain, Italy, and, on a large scale, in Morocco in 1959, where cooking oil adulterated with jet engine lubricant from an American airbase led to paralysis in approximately 10,000 victims, and caused an international incident.[10]

• In Sara Gruen's 2006 novel Water for Elephants jake paralysis afflicts one character, Camel, after drinking contaminated Jamaica Ginger.
• In the novel The Black Dahlia, the protagonist reveals early on that his mother went blind and fell to her death after drinking jake, leading to his resentment of his father for purchasing it.
• In his autobiography On the Move: A Life, Oliver Sacks describes research that he conducted to develop an animal model of jake paralysis. He was able to duplicate the toxic effects of TOCP on myelinated neurons in earthworms and chickens.
• In Jamie Ford's novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet the two young characters Henry and Keiko are given a prescription for Jamaican Ginger in the 1942 portion of the story. They go to the pharmacy, pick up the bottles, and return to the Black Elks club. Due to war rationing and systemic oppression at the time, the black jazz club is not allowed to have a liquor license, so the proprietor uses Jamaican Ginger to make bathtub gin.

Songs were recorded at the time about "jake" and its effects; in a variety of musical styles, including blues and country. Several have been included on the compilation albums Jake Walk Blues (1977, 14 songs)[11] and Jake Leg Blues (1994, 16 songs)[12][13] There is a marked but unsurprising duplication of songs between those albums. In some cases, different artists used the same title for different songs. The songs on one or both of those albums are, in alphabetic order by title:

• "Alcohol and Jake Blues" – Tommy Johnson (1929, Paramount 12950) [14][15][16][17]
• "Bay Rum Blues" - David McCarn and Howard Long [18]
• "Bear Cat Papa Blues" – Gene Autry and Frankie Marvin (1931, unreleased) [19][20]
• "Beer Drinkin' Woman" - Black Ace
• "Got the Jake Leg Too" - Ray Brothers [21]
• "Jake Bottle Blues" - Lemuel Turner (1928, Victor V-40052) [22][23]
• "Jake Head Boogie" - Lightnin' Hopkins (c. 1949-1950)
• "Jake Jigga Juke" - Iron Mike Norton (2005, GFO Records)[24]
• "Jake Leg Blues" - Willie ("Poor Boy") Lofton (1935, Decca 7076) [25]
• "Jake Leg Blues" - Mississippi Sheiks with Bo Carter (1930, Okeh 8939) [26][27][28]
• "Jake Leg Rag" - W. T. ("Willie") Narmour and S. W. ("Shell" or "Shellie") Smith [29][30]
• "Jake Leg Wobble" - The Ray Brothers [31]
• "Jake Legs Blues" - Maynard Britton
• "Jake Legs Blues" - Byrd Moore [32]
• "Jake Liquor Blues" - Ishmon Bracey (1929, Paramount 12941) [33][34][35]
• "Jake Walk Blues" - The Allen Brothers (1931, Victor V-40303) [36][37][38]
• "Jake Walk Blues" - Maynard Britton
• "Jake Walk Papa" - Asa Martin (1933) [39]
• "Limber Neck Rag" - W. T. Narmour and S. W. Smith

Other musical references include:

• Savannah, Georgia-based band Baroness recorded a song called "Jake Leg" for their album Blue Record.

• Jamaica ginger ("Ginger Jake") is a plot element in two episodes of The Untouchables, an American TV series.[40] "The Jamaica Ginger Story" aired in season 2 on February 2, 1961.[41] "Jake Dance" aired on January 22, 1963.[42]
• "Ginger Jake" also makes an appearance in the movie Quid Pro Quo, where "wannabes" (people who would like to be disabled) are helped by Ginger Jake to become disabled.