The aconite plant (wrestler as it is sometimes called) looks great when planted together with most garden flowers. Wrestlers pose the greatest danger to farm animals, especially during the flowering period, because even if dried, they do not lose their poisonous properties.
The toxicity of a plant directly depends on the phases of development, as well as on the soil and climatic conditions in which it grows. An example is wrestlers native to the north, which are less poisonous than those to the south.
Basic data
Representing a herbaceous plant of the Buttercup family, the wrestler is extremely poisonous. Several names of this plant are common among the people, among which the most famous are such names as wolf root, king-potion or king-grass and blue buttercup.
The height of the plant does not exceed 20 cm. Its flowers are unique and outwardly strongly resemble the helmets of ancient warriors. In addition, they are bisexual and collected in racemose inflorescences. The cup consists of five sepals, the upper one ofwhich are covered by several wrestler petals at once, being a kind of helmet for them.
After the end of the flowering period, which falls in the middle of summer, the plant forms a multi-leafed fruit. The root has a fleshy structure and is represented by several tubers at once, the main of which is the bearing part for the trunk. At the same time, when the wrestler blooms, the main tuber begins to gradually degrade, giving the plant most of its nutrients, and the second accumulates them in itself, significantly increasing in size until the next year, when the wrestler blooms again.
It is noteworthy that the content of alkaloids in the composition of aconite can vary significantly depending on the season and various climatic conditions.
Aconite poisoning of animals
In the event that an animal consumes wrestler along with other herbs, the first sign of poisoning is the appearance of uncontrolled salivation. In the future, the pulse slows down and not only blood pressure decreases significantly, but also the overall body temperature.
Against the background of the initial signs, diarrhea and yellowness of the mucous membrane can be observed, but aconite has the most significant effect on the state of the nervous system, significantly destroying its integrity and thereby affecting the animal's ability to breathe normally, completely paralyzing it, which in eventually leads to death.
History of the use of aconite
Wrestler is a poisonous plant whose propertieswere already known in ancient times. The whole plant, including even the smell, is extremely dangerous for humans. In ancient times, even poisons were made from its juice, in which the tips of arrows were dipped to more effectively destroy enemies, and it was also used to poison baits intended for large predators and water sources during enemy attacks.
Surprisingly, some hunters still use this plant instead of strychnine to kill wolves, the population of which can threaten both people and farm animals.
Why is aconite so poisonous?
The toxicity of a plant is directly related to the content of alkaloids in it, among which the main place is occupied by aconitine. All of them have a significant effect on the central nervous system and subsequently cause convulsions and complete paralysis of the respiratory center.
Despite the fact that this is a plant of the Buttercup family, the wrestler rightfully occupies the position of one of the most poisonous plants on earth. In the event that a person takes 2-4 grams of the plant from any part of it containing alkaloids, this will be a sufficient dose to cause death.
Manifestations of wrestler poisoning in humans
The poisoning of a person by a wrestler manifests itself in a couple of minutes. The first signs are uncontrollable tingling in the mouth and throat, which over time is replaced by a constant burning sensation.
As a result of this, profuse salivation begins in the mouth, abdominal pain is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea,however, these signs cannot be compared with the fact that various parts of the skin and nasopharynx will gradually become numb, leading the person into a state of stunnedness and disturbing his visual perception.
In severe poisoning, death can occur within hours.
Spreading Aconite
The herbaceous plant wrestler contains many dangerous components, the main compound of which is aconitine, which is found in large quantities in tuberous roots. The danger of poisoning is further enhanced by the fact that this plant is distributed in more than 300 different species, while over 50 varieties of wrestler grow in the Far Eastern territories in Russia.
In large numbers they can be found among meadow grasses, in forests, copses and edges. Since this plant is distributed almost everywhere, it is important to know the favorite places for its growth. Among them are those types of wrestlers that like to grow in wooded areas in close proximity to fern thickets, but those types of wrestlers that grow surrounded by cereals are the most dangerous, because individual elements of the plant can be harvested along with the harvest.
The use of the wrestler in medicine
Despite the extremely high content of poisonous elements in the composition of aconite, wrestler is a plant with excellent medicinal qualities. It can be used as an effective anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant,antiallergic and sedative, thanks to which the wrestler received the title of king of medicine in Tibet.
Wrestler - a plant that is successfully used in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, including even depression and neuroses. In addition, it can significantly stabilize the digestive system and significantly affect the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Aconite preparations
In order to turn this extremely poisonous plant into a useful, medicinal component, pharmacists need to work hard. Due to its high toxicity, it was decided to stop the use of wrestler in Western medicine, however, it is widely used in homeopathy to treat a variety of diseases.
Preparations made on its basis, in most cases, are presented in the form of granules, composed of several types of plants. Since the wrestler is a poisonous plant and eventually leads to paralysis of the respiratory tract, when creating tinctures from it, they can be used as an anesthetic for operations on the eyeball, removal of foreign elements from the body, and even as an anesthetic for such a serious disease as syphilis.
Collecting and processing plants
For the manufacture of various medicines, the roots of the plant are usually used. They are harvested in the fall, when the leaves of the wrestler die off, preparing it for the winter period. It is noteworthy that the tubers, drying out, significantly decrease in size andto collect 1 kg, you will need from 4 to 5 kg of the plant. At the same time, in some cases, the grass itself is harvested immediately before and during flowering.
The tubers are dug up, washed in cold water and dried under a canopy in a warm, darkened room. When collecting leaves, they are dried under a canopy in the shade. Be sure to keep the leaves dark green after drying.
Precautions during collection
Wrestler - a plant, starting to collect which must be taken into account the fact that it is extremely poisonous. Therefore, even the smallest particles of pollen from leaves and roots should not be allowed to enter the respiratory tract, be sure to protect yourself with a respirator. It is also important to take precautions regarding the juice of the plant, especially if there are abrasions on the body. After working with aconite, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. It is necessary to store raw aconite separately from other herbs and be sure to produce a protective label.
