Hemlock is from the Umbelliferae family. Veh is poisonous. Description, use in folk medicine. Hemlock can be as poisonous as a snake

In Rus', hemlock was called cat parsley, because. Outwardly, its carved leaves resemble parsley, and the smell of the plant is similar to the aroma of celery. In spring, hemlock grows very quickly and gains strength, attracting people and herbivores who mistake it for edible grass. Hemlock is easy to pull out of the soil; yellowish juice appears on the surface of cuts of the root and stem of the plant. The poisonous wedge blooms in the second half of summer - in July-August. Its white inflorescences are very similar to parsley umbrellas and have a specific smell.

Why is hemlock dangerous?

Hemlock venom is a cytotoxin, belongs to the group of neurotoxins that affect the central nervous system. The effect of the poison begins very quickly - a few minutes after entering the body. The person begins to experience severe vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness and convulsions. If the dose of cytotoxin is fatal, "ascending muscular paralysis" occurs - paralysis gradually covers the entire body and reaches the heart and respiratory system, which leads to quick death.

Medical care for hemlock poisoning consists of cleansing the stomach and intestines and supportive therapy, including the administration of anticonvulsants. However, very often health care may be ineffective or delayed.

IN Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome Hemlock poison was considered state poison - it was used to carry out capital punishment. But in folk culture, poisonous ones were almost never used. The ancient Egyptians added hemlock juice to an ointment to enlarge the mammary glands. In microscopic doses, hemlock has a sedative effect, reduces arterial pressure and motor activity. It was also used to treat cancer, skin diseases, helminthic infestations and epilepsy. Naturally, self-medicating with hemlock is life-threatening!

In slow-flowing waters and ditches, on swampy banks of rivers, lakes and ponds, in wet and damp meadows throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, poisonous hemlock grows.

This is a herbaceous perennial plant up to 1 meter high with a thick, fleshy rhizome of turnip-shaped or round shape, growing in swamp mud. to his appearance it looks like celery or turnip root, has a pleasant smell and taste, reminiscent of parsley. The hemlock rhizome is easy to recognize. When you cut it lengthwise, you will notice that inside it is divided by transverse partitions into separate cavities, or chambers. Amber-yellow oil stains are visible on the partitions.

The stem is bare, branched upward, with a reddish coating, having shortened hollow internodes. The base is relatively thick and then thins out to the point of branching. The stem leaves become smaller as they approach the top.

Hemlock blooms in July-August. Hemlock flowers are small, white and have five petals, five stamens, one queen with two free styles. Placed in a complex umbrella of 10-15 main rays. Each of them in turn ends with a small umbrella. At the base of the umbrella there are 8-10 narrow linear leaves forming a spathe, but at the base of the main umbrella there are no such leaves or only 1-2. This feature is characteristic of hemlock and distinguishes it from other plants of the Apiaceae family.

Flowers in complex umbels are bisexual and staminate. Staminate flowers are rare in the main umbel; lateral flowers are found inside. They differ from bisexuals by incomplete development or underdevelopment of the ovary style. In bisexual flowers, the calyx teeth are clearly visible.

The fruit of hemlock is two-seeded, 1.5-2 mm long, slightly flattened on the sides, round, with flat ribs. When ripe, they split into two separate fruits.

Signs of hemlock poisoning

Hemlock - very poisonous plant, its toxic properties vary depending on the time of year and climatic conditions.

The most poisonous part of hemlock is the rhizome. In spring, it contains up to 0.2% of a toxic substance - cicutotoxin, which acts on the oblongata and spinal cord person. When poisoning with hemlock, first a sweetish-mealy taste is felt, and then a bitter taste. Irritation of the gastrointestinal tract with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Poisoning is accompanied by a disorder in the activity of the heart, dizziness, general weakness, convulsions, loss of consciousness during convulsive attacks. The poison acts mainly on the nervous system. Death occurs within 10 hours from respiratory paralysis.

Hemlock (veh poisonous) photo:

They are poisoned by hemlock mainly due to the fact that the hemlock rhizome is considered celery root. Very dangerous plant and for animals when they eat fresh stems and leaves or when parts of the plant fall into the hay.

Accidental admixture of hemlock in animal feed causes salivation, bloating, diarrhea, distortion of the eyes, neck, head, convulsions and even death. In case of hemlock poisoning, it is necessary to perform gastric lavage and induce vomiting.

To prevent hemlock poisoning, wetlands are dried out, plowed up, the plants are pulled out with roots and burned.

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Vekh poisonous (another name is spotted hemlock) - herbaceous plant, widespread in Europe, Asia and North America. It is also popularly called hemlock. This plant is one of the most poisonous in nature. But, despite the fact that hemlock is toxic both fresh and dried, it is widely used in folk medicine. What is poisonous wech? Description of it useful properties and medicinal recipes, read this article.

Appearance and habitat

Hemlock is a tall plant, the length of which can reach 1.2 m. The rhizome is round with partitions inside, quite fleshy. The stem is branched and can reach 60-120 cm in length. The flowers are white, small size, are combined into a complex umbrella. The flowering period occurs in June - August. The poisonous plant bears fruit in August-September.

Hemlock grows in swampy areas, along the banks of lakes and rivers. The plant is widespread in middle lane Russia, throughout the Siberian forest zone and partly in the polar-Arctic zone. Hemlock is also sometimes found in the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America.

Compound

The rhizomes and roots of hemlock contain cicutotoxin and cicutol - nitrogen-free toxic substances. Also found in their composition are essential oils based on p-cymene and cumic aldehyde. Vekha leaves are saturated with alkaloids, flavonoids and polyacetylene elements. All parts of the plant contain a poisonous element - cicutin. This substance is found in large quantities in the rhizome, which in early spring and becomes especially toxic in late autumn. It is important to remember that the poison is not destroyed by high temperatures and is preserved even in a dried plant.

Effect of poison

Hemlock is a very poisonous plant. Cases of poisoning occur frequently cattle a milestone. Cicutin also poses a danger to humans. After consuming any part of the plant, in most cases death occurs within a few hours. The first signs of intoxication of the body appear in the interval from several minutes to 2 hours.

Symptoms of cicutin poisoning:

• convulsions;
• heavy salivation;
• dizziness;
• burning in the abdomen;
• vomit;
• dilated pupils;
• slow heart rate;
• convulsions;
• paralysis of the tongue muscles.

First aid for poisoning

Hemlock poison can be neutralized using alkalis and concentrated acids. As an antidote, they use drugs that cause a gag reflex, sour drinks, strong black coffee, and place mustard plasters on the back and shoulders.

When the first symptoms of poisoning appear, you must:

• rinse the stomach with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate (this will help stop the absorption of the poison into the blood);
• drink 10 tablets of activated carbon;
• do a high cleansing enema;
• it is possible to use saline laxatives (sodium sulfate and magnesium in a dosage of 30 g per 2 cups of boiled water);
• drink a sour drink (for example, jelly);
• if necessary, the victim is given artificial respiration.

Pharmacological properties

The pharmacological properties of this plant determines its chemical composition. Cicutin in small doses has a calming effect. At the same time, the poisonous elements of the milestone depress the central nervous system, reduce blood pressure and motor activity. Cicutin also affects the genitourinary system, reducing urine output.

Use of hemlock in medicine

All parts of the plant are used in folk medicine. Vekh poisonous herb is included in medicines and is used in the treatment of:

• nervous disorders;
• epilepsy;
• mental disorders;
• headaches;
• postpartum seizures;
• migraines;
• gout;
• angina pectoris.

Tinctures from poisonous wege are used for the treatment of bronchial asthma, stuttering, and whooping cough. This remedy also has an expectorant, sedative, anticonvulsant, analgesic, diaphoretic and narcotic effect.

Hemlock compresses are used for inflammation of the lymph nodes.

The leaves and root of the plant are used to make ointments that help relieve back pain and symptoms of arthritis.

Use of milestone poison in the treatment of cancer

Cicutin is a potent poison that can slow down the process of cell division (mitosis). This is why the toxic substances of the poisonous plant are used to treat cancer. Hemlock poison inhibits tumor growth and eliminates malignant tumors and cells. Preparations that contain cicutin block the process of cell reproduction at the initial stage - during metaphase, when the nucleus is just beginning to divide. That is why the use of poisonous milestone is effective at any stage of the disease. In addition, cicutin is able to eliminate metastases (secondary cancer cells). It is important to note that hemlock-based drugs have a more gentle effect on the body than any form of polychemotherapy. This is due to the fact that cicutin affects only malignant cells and does not affect healthy tissue. Treatment with drugs based on Vekha helps to avoid relapse of the disease.

Recipes for cancer treatment

Attention! Before taking tincture of Vekha and other drugs based on it, you should consult your doctor.

An infusion of hemlock for the treatment of cancer is prepared as follows: take 10 g of powder from the rhizome of the vekha and pour it with 500 ml of vodka. Then the mixture should infuse for 14 days.

There are several regimens for taking this infusion in the treatment of malignant tumors.

1. Preventive. Start taking the infusion with 1 drop, increasing the dose every day. Take 20 drops for 20 days. After this, the dose is reduced, and on day 40 you should take 1 drop.

2. Medicinal. Treatment begins with 2 drops, which must be taken in the morning and evening. Every day the dose increases by 1 drop. In the morning on the 11th day of taking the drug, take 22 drops. After this, their number is reduced. In the evening, on day 20, the course of treatment ends.

Collection and preparation

In folk medicine, hemlock herb is most often used. It is saturated with poison (as are the roots and rhizomes), so maximum care must be taken when harvesting all parts of the plant. The grass is collected during the flowering period. Roots and rhizomes are harvested in the fall, since in the spring the plant contains the most a large number of poison. It is necessary to dry hemlocks in the shade, in cool, well-ventilated areas.

When collecting poisonous weed, you should only wear gloves, avoiding getting the juice on your skin and eyes.

Medicinal prescriptions

Attention! Hemlock is a very poisonous plant, so its use is allowed only after consultation with a doctor.

The poisonous milestone tincture is prepared simply:

• Grind the hemlock rhizome into powder and pour 250 ml of boiling water over it (1 tsp), leave covered for 4 hours, and then strain. You need to drink this infusion 1 tsp. 4 times a day for the treatment of any form of hysteria and other nervous disorders.
• Take 1 tsp. crushed roots and hemlock grass, pour 250 ml of alcohol and leave for 17 days in a dark and well-ventilated area. Compresses with this infusion are effective in treating rheumatism, gout and skin rashes.

Hemlock ointment

• Grind the rhizome and hemlock grass into powder, mix it (1 tsp) with melted pork fat (300 g) and place in a well-ventilated place for 10 days. This ointment is recommended for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, and skin rashes.

Botanical description[ | ]

Vekh poisonous is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 1-1.2 m high with a characteristic vertical white fleshy rhizome with numerous small and thin roots. A longitudinal section in the rhizome reveals a number of transverse cavities filled with yellowish liquid. This is characteristic hallmark milestone. The roots are succulent, up to 0.5 cm thick.

The stem is smooth, branched, hollow at the internodes, with a reddish coating; at the top it branches many times.

The vaginal leaves are large, long-petiolate, sharp-toothed at the edges, double-pinnate, the lower ones are almost trippinnate-dissected with linear-lanceolate, pointed and sharply serrate leaves. The stem leaves become smaller and simpler as they approach the apex.

Small white bisexual or staminate flowers are collected in complex (double) umbels with 10-15 main rays. There are no wrappers ( important difference from spotted hemlock), however, there are wrappers with 8-12 leaves for each umbrella. A separate flower is built according to the five-fold system. In bisexual flowers, the calyx teeth are clearly visible. Staminate flowers in the main umbel are rare and are found in the middle of the lateral umbels. They differ from bisexual flowers in the underdevelopment of the ovary and style. Blooms in the second half of summer (July - August).

The fruits are small, 1.5-1.8 mm long, consisting of two hemispherical achenes Brown; With outside each achene has five wide longitudinal ribs; internal sides each achene faces each other, almost flat, lighter in color, with a wide dark stripe in the middle. Propagated by seeds.

Distribution and habitat[ | ]

Distributed throughout Eastern Europe, as well as in the northern parts of Western Europe, Asia and North America.

In Russia - almost everywhere.

Veh poisonous grows in low swampy meadows, along the banks of rivers, streams and ponds, in ditches, where there is a sufficient amount of water. In spring, this plant grows faster than others and stands out against the general background for its size, attracting the attention of animals. Greens, and especially the rhizome, have a specific, slightly intoxicating odor that resembles the smell edible plant celery (Apium graveolens L.).

Toxicology [ | ]

Vöh is one of the most poisonous plants. This plant is especially insidious because of its pleasant taste. The most comprehensive study poisonous properties The milestone was produced in the 70s of the 19th century by Rudolf Böhm in Dorpat. An experimental study of the toxicity of the poisonous weed for farm and laboratory animals was carried out in 1954.

The toxic principle is amorphous cicutoxin. Its content reaches 0.2% in fresh and up to 3.5% in dry rhizomes. Cicutoxin was isolated in 1875 by Boehm in the form of light yellow oily droplets, which later turned into a light brown, homogeneous, viscous, resin-like mass with an unpleasant bitter taste and no particular odor. Cicutoxin dissolves well, without residue, in ether, chloroform, as well as in boiling water and alkaline solutions. When exposed to concentrated acids and alkalis, cicutoxin is destroyed. According to modern data, it is neither an alkaloid, nor a glycoside, nor a pyrone derivative and has chemical formula below. In addition, the plant contains an essential oil - cicutol (in fruits up to 1.2%) with a variety of terpenes.

The rhizome of the milestone is especially poisonous in early spring and late autumn. However, at other times of the year its toxicity persists and remains high. Cicutoxin and others toxic substances the milestone is not destroyed under any influence high temperature, nor during long-term storage.

Cases of animal poisoning with milestones most often occur in the spring. Among large animals, poisoning was observed mainly in cattle. This is explained by the fact that animals are less picky about the grass they eat and the fact that the plant itself is very easily pulled out by the roots.

To recognize the milestone, a longitudinal section of the rhizome and roots is made and examined under a microscope - oval cavities filled with a yellowish resinous substance are visible.

Notes [ | ]

Literature [ | ]

• // / comp. N. I. Annenkov. - St. Petersburg. : Type. Imp. AN, 1878. - XXI + 645 p.