Poisonous plants are an integral part of the natural environment. The presence of toxins in them is a process of evolution to protect against natural enemies. Some poisonous plants cause only mild discomfort, while others are deadly and can kill in seconds. One of these is hemlock - it is milestone - a grass of the umbrella family. It is very similar to parsley, not only in appearance, but also in smell.
Short description
Veh is a perennial plant (unlike parsley) from the umbrella family. The height can reach 150 centimeters. Cicuta has a rounded hollow stem, branching from above, and hollow internodes. Below are long adventitious rhizomes. The root system itself is vertical. The rhizome is fleshy, with weak roots, so it is very easy to pull it out of the ground.
Petiolate leaves have a double or triple pinnate dissection, the edges of the lanceolate lobes are sharply serrated. The milestone flowers are dense, umbrellas have 10-20 rays. Several flower-bearing umbrellas can be located on the shoot. Flowering begins in mid-summer - in July-August.
In appearance, milestones resemble another plant - hemlock. But if you carefully consider the photo, milestone poisonous has a clearly visible difference. There are no brown spots and powdery coating on the lower part of its stem.
Distribution and growth
Cicut is a hardy plant. At the same time, it does not grow in regions with little rainfall - the milestone is most widespread in forest-steppe regions in wet meadows, swampy shores, and in shallow waters. The plant can be found in China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Korea, Siberia, Southwest Asia, the Caucasus and the Far East, in European countries.
Plant poison
As already mentioned, milestone is a poisonous plant. It contains cicutotoxin. It is most poisonous in spring and autumn - the concentration of the toxin reaches its maximum. The greatest accumulation of cicutotoxin is in the rhizomes, in smaller doses - in the leaves, flowers and stem.
Poison refers to poisonous alcohols, death occurs due to severe poisoning of the central nervous system. Its chemical formula is C17H22O2. It is a non-competitive antagonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is involved in the neurotransmitter and metabolic processes of the brain.
First signs of poisoning and treatment
The poison that contains milestones is a very dangerous toxin. It is enough to accidentally eat a few stems or leaves - it comessevere poisoning. The first signs of poisoning appear in the very first minutes after ingestion.
First of all, there is a general malaise, then there is a severe headache, dizziness, increased salivation, then nausea and vomiting. After a while, the poisoned person loses consciousness, and seizures begin. The duration and frequency depend on the amount of toxin that has entered the body. There is paralysis of the nervous system and respiratory tract. Death usually occurs within an hour.
If there is a suspicion that a milestone has entered the body along with food, this means that urgent measures must be taken in order to prevent further exposure of the toxin to the body. It is necessary to wash the stomach with a solution of potassium permanganate. Be sure to drink activated charcoal 5-10 tablets (depending on the weight of the victim). Cleansing enemas are also needed, and inside - liquid jelly in large quantities. The victim must be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible.
Composition of substances contained in the plant
In addition to cicutotoxin, the plant contains many other substances. It contains flavonoids - isorhamnetin and quercetin. As well as essential oil, which contains cicutol and non-toxic substances - pinene and phyllandren. All these substances are used in pharmacology and various chemical industries.
Use of hemlock in medicine
Despite the fact that the plant is poisonous, it is used to make medicinaldrugs for the treatment of cancer, epilepsy and skin diseases. A poisonous milestone is also used as a sedative - reviews indicate that in certain quantities a sedative effect is exerted on the body. In homeopathy, hemlock is used in the treatment of migraines, tetanus convulsions, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, gout, rheumatism.
Preparing medicines from hemlock at home
Both rhizomes, stems, and change are suitable for medicine - milestone in this regard is a universal plant. Harvesting must be done with protective gloves and make sure that the plant does not touch exposed skin.
To prepare the tincture, you will need the herb itself or its rhizomes. They need to grind and prepare a teaspoon without a slide (into a fine powder) and pour a glass of alcohol. The mixture should be infused in a cool dark place for 17 days. This tincture is used externally to treat gout and rheumatism.
To prepare an ointment at home, you will need melted pork fat (300 grams) and a teaspoon of milestone powder (rhizomes or herbs). The mixture is infused for 10 days. It is also used to treat rheumatism or gout.
Before using drugs that contain hemlock poison, you must always consult a doctor. Everyone's body is individual, susceptibility to the effects of drugs is different. In addition, individual intolerance or hypersensitivity to substances may be detected.contained in grass or rhizomes milestone.
