Hemlock is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. It grows everywhere in Russia. It is very similar to moth and parsley, smells like parsley, tastes sweetish. Death from hemlock occurs very quickly; a person will not have time and will not be able to physically get to the doctor. Found in several varieties. Death occurs from respiratory paralysis. Every year, many animals and people die from poisoning from this plant.

Hemlock (veh poisonous) is a plant of perennial aquatic and marsh herbs of the Umbelliferae family (about 10 species), with the smell of parsley (or celery).

Grows mainly in North America. In Eurasia, along the banks of rivers, canals, and in swamps, poisonous weed grows, all parts of which contain a toxin that causes poisoning (often fatal) in humans and domestic animals. Because of its resemblance to spotted hemlock, poisonous hemlock is sometimes called water hemlock. These plants are similar both in appearance and in their medicinal effects. Therefore, they are often talked about together.

In Ancient Greece, hemlock was used as an official poison, which was used to poison those sentenced to death. The most famous victim of the poisonous hemlock is the philosopher Socrates. Having been sentenced to death in 399 BC. e. Socrates received a large dose of hemlock. However, Greek hemlock is a hemlock (omeg), not a weh.

Hemlock grows throughout almost the entire European part of Russia, in Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Western Siberia; it can be found in sedge-mossy and transitional grass swamps, in ditches, on forest edges, along river banks, and in bushes , on the slopes of ravines, near housing and in crops.

The rhizome of hemlock (poisonous plant) is completely dense and almost round in early spring, oblong in autumn, hollow inside and divided by transverse partitions into separate chambers. The stem is hollow inside, finely grooved, up to 130 cm in height, branched at the top. The leaves are on long petioles, double-pinnate, and below triple-pinnate. Umbrellas with 10-20 smooth rays, no involucre or it consists of 1-2 leaflets, involucre - of 8-12 linear leaflets. The flowers are white, the fruits are almost round. The flowers are small and white. The poisonous wedge blooms in July-August. Its toxicity varies depending on the time of year and climatic conditions. In spring, the rhizome is more poisonous. The flowers are collected in characteristic umbrella inflorescences.

Hemlock and hemlock seeds contain various alkaloids (horse meat, cicutoxin, etc.), as well as essential oils. They are used to prepare tinctures. Used to treat cancer. In addition, tinctures of these plants are analgesic and anticonvulsant, and are used to treat epilepsy, tetanus convulsions, migraines, dizziness and malaise caused by worms.

The main external distinguishing feature of hemlock from hemlock is the presence on the lower part of its smooth, blue-tinged stem, dark red spots and a powdery coating.

The rhizome of the poisonous hemlock (hemlock) is vertical, thick, fleshy, with thin, weak roots. That is why it is so easily pulled out of the ground. It is easy to identify the hemlock rhizome. If you cut it lengthwise, you will notice in the pulp the presence of transverse cavities with a yellowish liquid. This yellow resin contains cicutoxin, which disrupts the central nervous system.

Symptoms of poisoning appear a few minutes after entering the body, since cicutotoxin is very quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.

Hemlock poison has a pronounced convulsive effect and mainly affects the central nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning with hemlock: bitterness in the mouth, feeling of thirst, abdominal pain, nausea, salivation, vomiting, respiratory and circulatory disorders, delirium, convulsions, dizziness, difficulty breathing, paralysis of the tongue, severe weakness and foam at the mouth. Death occurs from respiratory paralysis.

A single bite of the root (which has the highest concentration of cicutoxin) may be enough to cause death. In animals, the poisonous dose and lethal dose are approximately the same. One gram of water hemlock per kilogram of weight will kill a sheep and 230 grams is enough to kill a horse. Due to the rapid onset of symptoms, treatment is usually unsuccessful.

The maximum concentration of poison in hemlock is in early spring and late autumn!

First aid: In case of poisoning with a milestone, it is necessary to urgently rinse the stomach, for this you can use a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate, take 5 - 10 tablets of activated carbon, use high cleansing enemas, drink plenty of liquid jelly, drink emetics, vinegar and black coffee (in case of poisoning poisonous plants (vekh, henbane, datura, belladonna) or carbon monoxide, give the patient a teaspoon of roasted coffee seed powder to eat without drinking anything, take four such doses at intervals of 30 minutes).

If necessary, perform artificial respiration. In case of hemlock poisoning, it is important not to delay time and immediately take the victim to the hospital.

Remember that this plant is highly poisonous, especially the rhizome!

Due to its toxicity, hemlock is rarely used in folk medicine, but where it is still used, it brings enormous benefits.

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Poisonous hemlock (another name is spotted hemlock) is a 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? Read a description of its beneficial properties and medicinal recipes in 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 in size, united in 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 central 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 becomes especially toxic in early spring and 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. There are often cases of poisoning of cattle with milestones. 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 are determined by 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. The poisonous herb wekh is included in medications 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 largest amount 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.
Hemlock is a perennial plant of the Umbelliferae family, growing most often near water bodies. The second scientific name for hemlock is poisonous vekh. In Russia, it is especially common in Altai, but it can be found in the central and southern regions.

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 weed 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?

In hemlock, all parts of the plant are dangerous, but especially the rhizome. Just a few eaten plants can kill animals as large as a cow. The lethal dose is one gram of plant per kilogram of human or animal weight. For a person, this is approximately 6-8 leaves. Hemlock is especially dangerous in the spring - during this period the plant contains the greatest amount of poison.

Hemlock venom is a cytotoxin that 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 spreads throughout the body and reaches the heart and respiratory system, resulting in rapid death.

Medical care for hemlock poisoning consists of cleansing the stomach and intestines and supportive therapy, including the administration of anticonvulsants. However, very often medical care is 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 blood 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!

Poison weed (Cicuta virosa) is one of the medicinal plants used in alternative medicine since ancient times. You should be as careful as possible with this herb; when used in small doses, the plant will bring exceptional benefits to the body, and if abused, it can cause death, since by its nature it is highly toxic.

Vekh is popularly called poisonous hemlock, cat parsley, cow poison, water hemlock, water hemlock, and carrot grass. From this article you will learn about the beneficial properties of the plant and the dangers of the herb, and also become familiar with the ways of using it.

Poisonous Veh (lat. Cicúta virósa) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Veh and the Umbrella family, reaching a height of 1.5 meters. Hemlock is endowed with dense, almost rounded, vertical rhizomes and hollow, smooth, finely grooved and branched stems.

The leaves (see photo) are long-petiolate, collected at the base into basal rosettes, complex pinnately dissected, serrated along the edges.


This plant is often confused with spotted hemlock. Hemlock differs from hemlock in the absence of a bluish tint on the stem. In addition, the second one has dark red spots and a powdery coating on the lower part of the stem. Read more about hemlock.

The flowers (see photo) are five-petalled, white-yellow or white-green, collected in umbellate inflorescences. The fruit is a white, round two-seeded seed. Flowering occurs in mid-summer, and fruit ripening occurs at the end of summer.

Inflorescence milestone Rhizome Rhizome in section

Eastern and Western Europe, North America, Asia, China, Mongolia, Japan, Russia, Ukraine - habitat. The banks of lakes, rivers, fields, marshy areas, acidic and clayey soils are places of growth.

Composition and healing power

Despite the fact that water hemlock is poisonous, when used wisely it can work wonders and even cure cancer. The benefits and healing effects of the herb are due to its rich composition. Cat parsley is rich in:

  • alkaloids;
  • essential oils;
  • cicutol;
  • flavonoids;
  • quercetin.

After conducting numerous studies, it became known about the following effects of the plant: anticonvulsant, diaphoretic, expectorant, diuretic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, analgesic.

Herbal remedies, when used appropriately, contribute to:

Hemlock is used to prepare tinctures, decoctions and ointments that are effective in the fight against angina, gout, migraines, convulsions, headaches, central nervous system disorders, epilepsy, whooping cough, asthma, cancer, paralysis, arthritis, ulcers and dermatitis.

Recipes for effective, centuries-tested medicines

In traditional medicine there are many recipes for hemlock preparations. However, medications will only help if they are used correctly. Before starting treatment for a particular ailment using a composition of cat parsley, you should make sure that there are no contraindications and consult your doctor regarding the appropriateness and usefulness of the medicine.

It is extremely important to strictly observe the proportions during the preparation of drugs, and the dosage during use. Abuse of drugs, as well as exceeding recommended dosages, is fraught with critical consequences.

1. Take the dried roots of the plant, grind to a powdery consistency. Pour 10 g of raw material into 300 ml of boiled water. Leave the tightly sealed container in a warm place for three hours. Take 10 ml of filtered medicine four times a day. This remedy is effective in the fight against any form of hysteria and other disorders of the nervous system, bronchial asthma, paralysis, epilepsy, seizures and stuttering.

2. Pour 10 g of crushed dry rhizomes or above-ground parts of the plant with alcohol - 250 ml. Close the container tightly and leave in a cool place for three weeks. Treatment with tincture is effective for rheumatism, gout and skin rashes. It is recommended to make compresses.

3. You can also make an ointment for the treatment of skin pathologies (abscesses, rashes), gout and rheumatism. Mix one teaspoon of Vekha grass, ground to a powder consistency, with 300 g of melted pork fat. Leave the container in a cool place for a week and a half. Use to lubricate painful areas.

4. An extract can be made from the juice of the plant, which helps dissolve toxins and has a calming effect. Take fresh stems and leaves of the plant, fill it with water and place the container on the stove. Evaporate the mixture until honey thickens over low heat. Next, add hemlock powder to the extract (you should get a mass of clay-like consistency). Form into pills weighing 0.8 grams. Therapy should be started with a minimum dosage, gradually increasing to 1.6 grams. Immediately after consuming the extract, drink tea or elderberry infusion.

Vekh poisonous will help in cancer therapy

The plant is rich in a potent poison - cicutin, which helps slow down the process of cell division. The toxic substance helps in delaying the growth of tumors, eliminating malignancies and cancer cells, and blocking the proliferation of tumor cells at the initial stage. Compositions from water hemlock can eliminate metastases. Cat parsley products are effective in the treatment of cancer at any stage. The use of hemlock medicine helps in preventing relapse of the disease.

It is recommended to use this tincture. Pour a teaspoon of Vekha powder into a glass bottle, then pour in half a liter of high-quality vodka. Close the container tightly and store in a cool place for two weeks.

The tincture should be taken according to this scheme: on the first day one drop, on the second two. The dosage should be increased by one drop until the twentieth day. Then the dose is reduced. This is followed by a ten-day break and repetition of the course.

How and when should raw materials be procured?

Vekha grass is used to make preparations. Unlike the underground part, it is less poisonous. If you want the plant to serve for the good and bring exceptional benefits to the body, you need to know how and when to harvest it and how to store it.

Before you start collecting raw materials, you need to take care of your safety. Since the grass is toxic, it should be collected only with protective gloves. Clothing should also be special, long sleeves are an ideal measure to prevent hemlock juice from getting on the skin. When you arrive home, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Do not involve children and teenagers in the procurement of raw materials. They are inquisitive, and while you are busy, they may try “medicinal herbs,” which can lead to severe poisoning.

It is preferable to collect grass during the period of intense flowering. Roots for medicinal purposes should be collected in the autumn, since in the spring the greatest amount of poison is concentrated in the plant.

Then the raw materials are poured into tightly closed containers and stored in a cool place. Vekh should be stored separately from other herbs and out of the reach of children.

Overdose: symptoms and first aid

When consuming high doses of a product based on cat parsley, signs of intoxication appear after 5-10 minutes. An overdose of the plant is characterized by:

  • uncomfortable and painful sensations in the epigastrium;
  • unsteady gait;
  • pre-fainting and fainting states;
  • increased heart rate;
  • dilated pupils;
  • spasms of the masticatory muscles;
  • severe salivation;
  • diarrhea;
  • indomitable and prolonged vomiting;
  • nausea;
  • headache.

Inappropriate use of drugs is fraught with convulsions, foam at the mouth, paleness of the dermis, alternating with redness. Death can occur from cardiac or respiratory arrest. Asphyxia during convulsions is also possible. A person’s life can only be saved by immediately seeking qualified help. There is an algorithm of actions for hemlock poisoning.

  1. Call a doctor.
  2. Interview the victim if he is conscious. If not, interview eyewitnesses. Inspect the scene of the incident, pay attention to the presence of plant parts in the vomit.
  3. Rinse your stomach and give a cleansing enema. To lavage the stomach, use saline or 0.1% potassium permanganate solution. If these products are not available, use plain water.
  4. Give the victim black coffee.
  5. Give the patient a sorbent (activated carbon, Polysorb).
  6. If you find the victim unconscious, check his breathing and pulse. If there are no signs of life, be prepared to carry out resuscitation measures: artificial respiration and indirect cardiac massage.

There is no antidote for vekha poison, so treatment of the pathology is symptomatic. After transporting the patient to the hospital, he is given hemosorption (helps cleanse the blood of poisons). Anticonvulsant therapy is carried out, and intravenous glucose is prescribed.

Some historical data

The power and properties of hemlock have been known to mankind since ancient times. It was previously believed that the death of the great ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was due to the effects of the poison vekha - before his death, he drank a cup of a toxic substance. Modern scientists believe that the clinical picture of the philosopher’s death, reconstructed from Plato’s detailed description, was provoked by a completely different plant - spotted hemlock.

Hemlock was used both in ancient and medieval medicine. The Codex Salerno contains entries regarding the use of the herb in the fight against ophthalmological diseases, purulent rashes, and gout.

There are also many tragic cases of poisoning from plant poisons. Previously and to this day, children suffer from hemlock poisoning because they confuse the herb with other edibles or constantly make pipes from hollow stems. It happens that adults bring home a toxic plant, confusing it with wild parsley or celery.

Despite its high toxicity, vekh has been and continues to be used for medicinal purposes. The plant is not classified as a pharmacopoeial plant and is not welcomed by official medicine. But despite this, the herb is used by adherents of alternative medicine, as it has hypotensive, diuretic and sedative properties.

Contraindications

Due to the fact that the herb is poisonous, preparations from it can only be used after prior consultation with your doctor. The use of the plant is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Medicines should not be given to children and the elderly. Hemlock compositions are not recommended for people suffering from pathologies such as hypotension and heart failure.

When used appropriately, it will bring exceptional benefits to the body and relieve one or another ailment. The main thing is not to overuse the compounds and take them in recommended doses.

Other names: cicuta, cat parsley, wood pig, omeg, omezhnik, water rabies, mudnik, dog angelica, gorigolova, pork louse.

One of the most poisonous plants. The whole plant is poisonous, but especially the rhizome. Hemlock is insidious with its pleasant carrot smell and rhizome, which tastes like rutabaga or radish. 100-200 g of rhizome is enough to kill a cow, and 50-100 g will kill a sheep. Prepared from seeds and rhizomes hemlock oil or cicutol. Although cicutol is considered poisonous, the root resin contains cicutoxin(see below), the most poisonous element of hemlock, within a few minutes after ingestion it causes nausea, vomiting and colic in the lower abdomen, which may be followed by dizziness, unsteady gait, and foam at the mouth. The pupils are dilated, epileptic seizures and convulsions can result in paralysis and death. Help in case of poisoning is prompt gastric lavage with a suspension of activated carbon and tannin.

Description

Veh is a herbaceous plant up to 1-1.2 m high with a characteristic vertical, thick, fleshy rhizome. A longitudinal section in the rhizome reveals a number of transverse cavities filled with yellowish liquid. This is a characteristic distinguishing feature of a milestone. The stem is smooth, branched, hollow. The leaves are large, sharp-toothed at the edges, double-pinnate, the lower ones are almost three-pinnately dissected with linear-lanceolate, pointed and sharply serrate leaves. Small, white flowers are collected in complex umbels with 10-15 main rays. There are no involucres (an important difference from spotted hemlock), but there are involucres with 8-12 leaves for each umbrella. A separate flower is built according to the five-fold system. The fruits are small, consisting of two hemispherical brown achenes; on the outside of each achene there are 5 wide longitudinal ribs; the inner sides of each achene are facing each other, almost flat, lighter in color, with a wide, dark stripe in the middle.

Vöh is a perennial, grows in low, swampy meadows, along the banks of rivers, streams and ponds, in ditches, in a word - in places 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. It has a thick white rhizome and small, thin roots, therefore it is weakly strengthened in the soil and is easily pulled out completely. The greens, and especially the rhizome, have a specific, slightly intoxicating, aromatic odor that resembles the smell of the edible celery plant (Apium graveolens L.). Blooms in the second half of summer (July-August). Propagated by seeds. Distributed throughout almost the entire former USSR, as well as in the northern parts of Western Europe, Asia and North America.

Toxicology

Veh is one of the most poisonous plants. In addition, this plant is especially insidious due to its taste. The most thorough study of the poisonous properties of the milestone was carried out in the 70s of the 20th century by Bem in Dorpat. An experimental study of the toxicity of the poisonous vek for farm and laboratory animals was carried out by N. G. Kozhemyakin in 1954.

The toxic principle is amorphous cicutoxin, contained up to 0.2% in fresh and up to 3.5% in dry rhizome. Cicutoxin was isolated in 1875 by Bam in the form of light yellow oily drops, 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, but a derivative of pyrron and has the chemical formula indicated below. In addition, the plant contains an essential oil - cicutol (in fruits up to 1.2%) with a variety of terpenes.

Vekha rhizome is especially poisonous in early spring and late autumn. However, at other times of the year its toxicity persists and remains high. Cicutoxin and other toxic substances of the milestone are not destroyed either by high temperature or 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. It is claimed that hemlock juice mixed with wine yeast plunges birds into lethargy, although larks and quails can calmly peck the seeds of the poisonous weed.

Chemical structure of cicutoxin

Notes

Sources

  • Veh: Taxonomy on the GRIN website

Wikimedia Foundation.

2010.:

Synonyms

    See what "Hemlock" is in other dictionaries: - (lat. cicuta). Herbaceous plant from the family. Umbelliferae, very poisonous; hemlock. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. CICUTA lat. cicuta. Plant: hemlock. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words included... ...

    Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language Vekh poisonous Dictionary of Russian synonyms. hemlock noun, number of synonyms: 4 hemlocks (10) ...

    Synonym dictionary Same as milestone...

    Big Encyclopedic Dictionary Hemlock, hemlock, female (.lat. cicuta) (bot.). Poisonous plant from the family. umbrella Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ...

    Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary CICUTA, s, female. Poisonous plant of the family. umbelliferae growing near the water. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 …

    - (Cicuta) The flower of the ancients is, at least in part, hemlock (Conium maculatum L.). Wed. A. Regel, Beitrag zur Geschichtedes Schierlings und Wasserschierlings (in Bullet, de la soc. des natur.de Moscou, 1876, no. 2 and 1877, no. 1) ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

    CICUTA- (Cicuta), vekh, plant of the family. Umbelliferae (Umbelliferae), found in several varieties; The main species, Cicuta virosa, is poisonous. Distributed in the North. In Europe and here in marshy areas, along the banks of rivers, ponds and lakes. Looks like... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia



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