Hemlock grass is one of the few medicinal plants with high toxicity. Despite this, since ancient times it has been used by healers and healers in the treatment of a number of diseases. Today we will talk about this plant, its medicinal properties and contraindications.
In ancient Greece, this poisonous plant was used to poison criminals who were sentenced to death by the court. There is a version that a public figure, the philosopher Socrates, was poisoned with such a poison. Today, hemlock grass (you can see the photo below) is practically not used in official medicine. Its use was discontinued in 1990 due to the danger of the method and officially recorded cases of poisoning in the treatment of patients.
But after 2000, the herb hemlock became the mainstay of drugs for the treatment of malignant tumors. These medicines were patented by Russian specialists - N. Aleutsky and N. Nazarenko. They managed to develop a method for treating neoplasms using hemlock extract.
Grasshemlock: description, photo of grass
This plant belongs to the Umbelliferae family and has a two-year life cycle. In the first year, it looks very much like parsley: the same carved leaves, collected in a basal bundle, the same root - curved, not having large processes. It was during this period that a lot of hemlock poisoning was recorded: it is mistakenly plucked and used as food as a seasoning for salads.
Cattle, in particular cows, hemlock grass will not bring significant harm. The lethal dose for these animals is contained in four kilograms of greens. But hemlock, fortunately, does not grow in mass plantings, it usually grows in single specimens. But for poultry, grass is dangerous: for ducks, chickens, a “portion” weighing about 70 grams is deadly.
In the second year of life, hemlock grass is transformed. It grows to a height of up to 80 cm, and sometimes reaches a meter. The practically bare tubular stem is branched, has characteristic nodes. Unfortunately, it is the stem that attracts children. They make whistles out of it. Such games, unfortunately, lead to poisoning, often severe.
On a greenish stem with a blue bloom, longitudinal grooves are clearly visible. Large leaves are rarely located on the stem on long petioles. They are naked, have a characteristic feathery edging. A distinctive feature of hemlock grass is a scattering of spots on the stem and leaves. For this plant is called speckled.
Hemlock begins to bloom in May. Appear on itwhite umbrellas that persist until the end of September, and sometimes until the first days of October. During this period, the plant emits a rather unpleasant odor. If you crush any part of it in your hands, the smell is felt even during the growing season. At the end of the flowering cycle, seeds appear, which are in boxes that easily crumble from the bushes.
Distribution
The plant is widely distributed in Algeria, North Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Europe, China. On the territory of our country it is found in Siberia and the Caucasus. The grass is resistant to any temperature conditions, it equally easily tolerates cold, heat, drought, and high humidity.
Plant composition
The healing properties of hemlock herb are determined by the presence of alkaloids in its composition. The most toxic is horse meat. In addition to it, the composition includes:
- conicein;
- methylconiine;
- conhydrin.
Most of all alkaloids are found in the fruits of the plant. In flowers and leaves they are approximately the same amount. Interestingly, growing in different parts of the planet, hemlock can have a different composition. For example, plants grown in Scotland are almost completely devoid of the complex of alkaloids that are characteristic of crops that grow in Russia.
Hemlock has the following effects on the body:
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkiller;
- antispasmodic;
- hypotensive;
- anticonvulsant;
- anticancer;
- soothing;
- immunostimulatory.
Dried hemlock retains medicinal properties for three years. After collection, it must be dried immediately - exposure to high temperatures eliminates a small part of the poisons, but it is impossible to completely get rid of them. Raw materials are used for the manufacture of infusions, decoctions, and tinctures. Useful properties of the hemlock are maximally revealed in its inflorescences and leaves.
Indications for use
In folk medicine, the use of hemlock herb is widespread. What are the drugs based on it used for? Healers recommend using healing hemlock for the following diseases and pathological conditions:
- migraine;
- epilepsy;
- hypertension;
- intestinal ulcer;
- constipation;
- tuberculosis;
- hearing loss;
- syphilis;
- night involuntary ejaculation;
- urinary retention;
- compulsive cough;
- menstrual irregularities.
Using hemlock
Hemlock grass is very toxic, and therefore its use in official medicine is limited. Until now, scientists continue to study the medicinal properties of the plant in cancer, but there are no official statistics on the effectiveness of therapy yet.
The use of hemlock herb for cancer by traditional healers is recommended in the form of tinctures for alcohol. In addition, the plant is included in the fees for the prevention of the disease.
Painkiller tincture
It is made using a mixture of leaves and seeds. The tincture has, in addition to its analgesic effect, sedative, anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Mix equal parts dried leaves and hemlock seeds. Pour two parts of the mixture with four parts of medical alcohol. Put in a dark place for fifteen days to infuse. Shake the bottle daily. Then strain the composition. Take tincture 1-2 drops per tablespoon (table) of water no more than three times a day.
Cancer tincture
In some countries of the world (Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico) hemlock is also used in traditional medicine in the treatment of cancer. A poisonous plant is a natural analogue of chemotherapy, but with a milder and selective effect. Coniine negatively affects cancer cells. In this case, the body does not self-destruct, but gradually gets used to the action of the poison. He althy cells do not die, they adapt, and cancer cells are suppressed in the affected foci, which are not capable of recovery.
You need to know that hemlock herb tincture does not give a 100% guarantee of healing from cancer. It acts in complex treatment and gives results only if it is applied in a timely and correct manner.
Who is the tincture recommended for?
Hemlock tincture is recommended for people who have undergone surgery to remove malignant neoplasms to prevent the appearance of metastases. Many renowned herbalists recommenddrink a course of tincture as a prophylactic.
Preparation of tincture
You should collect only apical inflorescences with young leaves. Going to collect raw materials, you need to take medical alcohol in a jar with you. The collected raw materials are immediately crushed and placed in a jar of alcohol in the ratio of two parts of grass and one part of alcohol. For example, two glasses of unpacked fresh raw materials are poured with a glass of alcohol. Use only sharp scissors to chop the hemlock. Do this quickly so that the volatiles do not evaporate during processing. Use gloves when collecting and grinding raw materials. Don't forget that hemlock is a poisonous plant.
Having collected the required amount of raw materials, put the jar in a dark and inaccessible place for children, where it will infuse for three weeks. Shake the tincture two or three times daily. After three weeks, the tincture must be carefully filtered through several layers of gauze. The composition is poured into a jar or bottle of dark glass. Store in a cool dark place at room temperature.
Rules for taking tincture
A scheme for taking the tincture has been developed, the effectiveness of which has been proven by doctors and healers. The application scheme is as follows:
- First day - in the morning on an empty stomach one drop diluted in a spoon (table water).
- Second day - two drops.
- Third day - three drops.
All subsequent days the dose of tincture is increased by one drop. The course is carried out up to 40 drops. Bringing the drugup to forty drops, start the countdown. On day 41, you need to take 39 drops and then, in descending order, up to one drop.
Patients who have undergone oncological operations need to drink two courses of tincture. If the patient's body is too weakened, the first course is carried out up to twenty drops, and then their number begins to decrease. The second course is carried out completely.
Pain Relieving Poultices
Judging by the description of the herb hemlock in Bulgarian folk medicine, it is successfully used for external use. On its basis, poultices are prepared, which are used to reduce pain in rheumatism and gout, external tumors.
Pour boiling water over the collected hemlock leaves and immediately wrap them with gauze. Apply medicated poultices to affected joints.
Contraindications
- The main alkaloid coniine, even in very small doses, causes a sharp increase in blood pressure.
- When the dosage is exceeded, respiratory depression is observed up to its complete stop.
- Hemlock-based products are contraindicated in children, people with individual intolerance, allergic reactions.
- Hemlock should not be taken by patients with digestive or respiratory problems.
Signs of intoxication
Evidence of hemlock intoxication are:
- nausea;
- profuse salivation;
- dizziness;
- difficulty swallowing;
- pallor of the skin;
- headaches;
- convulsions;
- burning in the mouth and throat.
Paralysis, which ascends from the lower limbs to the upper body, is a symptom of acute intoxication. If one of these symptoms appears, the patient must call an ambulance or take him to the nearest hospital.
