SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Scientists, doctors and pathologists are questioning the Sacramento County coroner’s conclusion that Lori McClintock’s death was related to white mulberry, a plant that has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries — and one that the coroner’s botanical consultant called “not toxic” in a letter to her office.
McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., died suddenly in December from dehydration due to gastroenteritis — an inflammation of the stomach and intestines — that was caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion,” according to a report from the Sacramento County coroner. The coroner ruled the death an accident.
But Sacramento County Coroner Kimberly Gin has not explained — nor provided records that explain — why she determined white mulberry leaf led to the dehydration that killed McClintock at age 61, fueling skepticism among a variety of experts.
