Which belongs to The branched stem of hemlock can reach 150 centimeters in height. The medicinal plant has a large poisonous rhizome, the numerous branches of which are half a centimeter thick, and small white flowers. The hollow rhizome is a "diagnostic" sign of hemlock.
Vekh poisonous blooms from June to August, and the fruits, which are round, dark brown two-seeded seeds, finally ripen by September. The plant reproduces using seeds. The main areas where hemlock grows are areas with sufficient water, in particular peat, grass and shrub bogs, lake shores, damp meadows and alder forests. Almost all areas of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, the Far East and Siberia are the main places of distribution of the poisonous weed. It can also often be found in Central Asian countries.
Vekh is poisonous - the plant is very dangerous, so special care is needed when using it. A great threat to health is the hemlock rhizome, which contains up to two percent of a dangerous substance - cicutoxin. There is a legend about this plant, according to which the great thinker Socrates drank a drink made from a poisonous plant and died suddenly. This type of execution in those days was the most humane way of painlessly leaving for another world. From the rhizome of the plant, which has a spicy smell and sweet taste, a very dangerous resinous juice emerges when cut, which causes fatal poisoning in 50% of cases.
The medicinal plant Vekh poisonous is used in medicine, especially for epilepsy, dizziness and convulsions. Traditional medicine uses hemlock as a sedative, anticonvulsant and expectorant in the form of infusions. Ointments made from it are used for lower back pain and arthritis. When harvesting this plant, you should never taste it or involve children in the process; it is important to carefully observe safety precautions. The finished medicinal raw materials obtained from the plant, after collection and drying, are stored in boxes separately from other herbs.
Since the poisonous herb is a plant that is life-threatening if used incorrectly, it must be used very carefully and under the supervision of a doctor. Hemlock poisoning is accompanied by headaches, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. There is also an imbalance and a feeling of coldness. The rhizome of the plant is especially poisonous in the spring, but at other times of the year the degree of danger remains very high. Cicutoxin, which is contained in the powerful rhizome of hemlock, is not destroyed by factors such as high temperature and long-term storage. Often in early spring, this plant causes poisoning of many animals that are not very well versed in the grass they eat.
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 animals being 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:- Wehbi H.
- Veh (plant)
See what “Veh poisonous” is in other dictionaries:
Veh poisonous- hemlock Dictionary of Russian synonyms. vekh poisonous noun, number of synonyms: 3 plant (4422) ... Synonym dictionary
VEGH POISONOUS- hemlock, a perennial poisonous herbaceous plant. Stems are straight up to 1 m high, branched, hollow. The rhizome is turnip-shaped, thick and fleshy, with hollow compartments inside. The leaves are doubly tripinnate with narrow-lanceolate, sharply serrated lobes. Inflorescence... ... Agricultural dictionary-reference book
Veh poisonous- Cicuta virosa L. Umbelliferae family. A perennial, glabrous, herbaceous plant, 50–150 cm high. The rhizome is short, thick, vertical, divided by transverse partitions into separate chambers, planted with white,… … Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
Veh poisonous- Table 39. Poisonous plants: 1 poisonous plants; 2 anabasis (barnyard grass) leafless; 3 aconite (wrestler) Djungarian; 4 spurge; 5 buttercup; 6 castor bean; 7 cross... ... Agriculture. Large encyclopedic dictionary
VEGH POISONOUS- (Cicuta virosa), a perennial herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family. The stem is branched, hollow, 50 x 150 cm high. The rhizome is hollow, divided inside by partitions. Leaves are double or triple pinnate. The flowers are white, small, in complex umbels.… … Veterinary encyclopedic dictionary
VEGH POISONOUS- (Cicuta virosa), perennial herbaceous plant of the family. umbrella, one of the most poisonous plants of the flora of the USSR. Distributed everywhere, growing along marshy banks of reservoirs, swamps, and alder forests. All parts of V. i., especially the rhizome, contain... ... Agricultural Encyclopedic Dictionary
Veh poisonous- 378. Cicuta virosa L... Flora of the Central Forest State Reserve
VEGH POISONOUS (CICUTA VIROSA L.)- see. Perennial with a strongly swollen hollow rhizome, divided inside by partitions into separate chambers. The stem is 50-150 cm high, rounded. The lower leaves are petiolate, the upper ones are sessile. Their plates are cut twice or thrice peristorally, segments... Forest herbaceous plants
milestones- (hemlock), a genus of perennial aquatic and marsh grasses of the Umbrella family. About 10 species, mainly in North America. In Eurasia, poisonous wech is widespread, all parts of which contain a toxin that causes poisoning (often fatal) in... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
VEH- hemlock (Cicuta), a genus of perennial grasses of the family. umbrella The leaves are double and four pinnate. The flowers are white, in complex umbels; the fruit is round. OK. 10 (according to other sources, up to 20) species, in the northern temperate zone. hemispheres (including in North America). In the USSR 1... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
Botanical characteristics
Vekh poisonous grass, translated - Cicuta virosa, this plant has a lot of other poetic names, here are some of them: hemlock, wolf's milk, water rabies, waterweed, poisonous rabies, blekota, bison grass, vikha, angelica, vyoh, dove, carrot, milestone, head, omega water, omega grass, wamiga, omernik, dog parsley, odal, animals of sorrow, exile, stinking grass, screamer, real hemlock.
This is a perennial herbaceous plant with a fleshy rhizome divided by small transverse partitions. A longitudinal section reveals a slightly viscous yellowish liquid in these cavities.
The stem of the screamer is smooth and branched. The leaves are tripinnately dissected, with sharply serrate, narrowly lanceolate lobes. The flowers are quite small, white in color, they are collected in complex umbels on the main rays.
At the base of the main rays there are no bracts, but there are involucres of small narrow-linear leaves. The calyx is five-toothed, the corolla is five-petalled, five stamens, two styles, the lower ovary is two-locular. The fruit is a two-seeded fruit; it is round in shape and, when ripe, splits into a couple of small fruitlets with a ribbed back.
Spreading
The carrot is found throughout Russia, it can be seen in wet meadows, in swamps, it grows along the banks of rivers, it is found in wetlands, along the outskirts of lakes.
Part used
This includes the rhizomes of the poisonous plant, as well as its aerial part.
Plant collection and preparation
It is worth warning that the plant is deadly poisonous! It contains alkaloids, the amount of which varies greatly, it all depends on the place where the plant grows and climatic conditions; accordingly, it is impossible to collect rhizomes without experience in this matter.
In spring, the rhizome is considered the most poisonous, so it is better not to collect it yourself without the skill. The collection and preparation of these raw materials should be carried out by a knowledgeable person.
Vekh poisonous in folk medicine
The use of the above-ground part of the plant as an external remedy is very active. For example, a medicinal ointment is prepared from the herb, which is used to treat the affected areas of the skin for chronic dermatological diseases.
Fresh rhizomes are actively used in homeopathy; potions prepared from them are prescribed for convulsions, epilepsy, tetanus and the postpartum period. Ointments and tinctures are used externally for gout, arthritis and rheumatism. The drugs also have a rejuvenating effect on the body; in addition, they are actively prescribed in the fight against malignant neoplasms.
(!) Hemlock is considered one of the most poisonous plants that grow in temperate latitudes. Poisoning with this plant, in particular its juice, very often occurs, since the maximum amount of alkaloids is concentrated in it, and in 50% of cases death occurs.
In ancient times, the juice of the rhizome was used as poison. Scientists are still at a loss: was Socrates poisoned with a milestone or hemlock? He was sentenced to death by an ancient court.
There are even cases of severe poisoning from the vapors of dog parsley infusion. Therefore, it is recommended to handle the plant with extreme caution and strictly adhere to all prescribed dosages.
It is worth noting that the toxicity of the plant remains not only when fresh, but also when dried and cooked, so let me once again remind you to be careful when using bison grass.
Hemlock has a rather pleasant aroma, reminiscent of carrots or radishes. It is worth saying that when eating two hundred grams of the plant’s rhizome, the cow loses its life. Hemlock oil is obtained from the seeds of the stem and rhizomes.
Recipe
Tincture of poisonous milestone. For malignant tumors, you can prepare such a drug. You will need ten grams of rhizome, which should be carefully and thoroughly crushed using a mortar and pestle. Then you need to fill it with 500 milliliters of vodka and leave for two weeks.
It is recommended to take this drug according to the so-called “slide” scheme, in which you should start with one drop, increasing the daily dose to a maximum of twenty drops, and then in the same way reduce the intake to one drop.
In subsequent courses of such treatment for oncological diseases, you can take a maximum of up to forty drops. This therapy is recommended after a twelve-day break.
This tincture, prepared from poisonous weed, is recommended to be taken once a day, preferably on an empty stomach in the morning, and it should be diluted with pre-cooled boiled water. So, for twenty drops you will need one hundred milliliters of liquid; if there is more medicine, then you need to dissolve it in 200 ml. This procedure will help protect the gastrointestinal tract from inevitable irritation.
Conclusion
Remember that veh is poisonous, and must be used with great caution. If you decide to use hemlock tincture, be sure to tell your doctor about your intention, and under no circumstances take it yourself, without consulting a doctor, otherwise you can seriously harm your health, even death, so be extremely careful.
Latin name
Folk names
Hemlock, vekh, wood dove, omezhnik, gorigolova
Part used
Roots and rhizomes
Collection time
September October
Description
A perennial herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family. The stem is smooth, branched, up to 1.5 m high. The leaves are double- or triple-pinnately dissected, with narrow-lanceolate, sharp-serrate lobes. The flowers are small, white, arranged in complex umbels with 10-15 main rays. The fruit is a two-seeded, round, splitting when ripe into two fruitlets, each of which has five longitudinal flat ribs on the back. Blooms in July-August.
Spreading
Vekh is found in damp and damp forest meadows, swamps, swampy river banks, and the edges of lakes in almost all regions of Russia.
Collection and preparation
Since wech is deadly poisonous and the content of toxic alkaloids varies greatly depending on the place of growth, collecting rhizomes without sufficient experience is not recommended.
Application
In folk medicine, the aerial part of the plant is used as an external remedy (in ointments and tinctures) for chronic painful rashes. Preparations from fresh rhizomes are used in homeopathy for epilepsy, tetanus and convulsions of the postpartum period. Ointments and tinctures from rhizomes are used externally for chronic dermatitis, gout and rheumatism. The drugs have a general anti-aging effect, in addition, they are used in the fight against cancer.
Recipes
for malignant tumors:
Pour 10 g of dry crushed rhizome into 0.5 liters of vodka and leave for two weeks. Take according to the “slide” scheme, starting with one drop and gradually adding a maximum of 20 drops daily, and then in the same way reduce the intake to a drop. In subsequent courses, after a 10-12 day break, you can increase the intake to 40 drops
Tincture of poisonous milestone is taken once a day on an empty stomach, diluted with chilled boiled water (up to 20 drops in 0.5 tbsp of liquid, and more in a glass). This measure protects the gastrointestinal tract from irritation
Contraindications
One of the most poisonous plants!!! The toxicity varies depending on the time of year and climatic conditions. In spring, the rhizome is more poisonous. Self-treatment with the plant is not acceptable.
Veh, or hemlock, is one of the most poisonous plants in temperate latitudes; poisoning with juice leads to death in 50% of cases. In ancient times, the juice of the rhizome was used as poison. Scientists are still arguing: the famous ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, sentenced to death by an ancient court in 399 BC, was poisoned with a milestone or hemlock?
There are known cases of severe poisoning even from vapors of the poisonous infusion. Therefore, this plant should be handled with extreme caution and dosages should be strictly observed.
Toxicity persists both during drying and during cooking of raw materials.
How to distinguish the poisonous vech from other umbellifers? Milestone photo. Therapeutic use of vekha (hemlock) - without prescriptions!
Hello dear reader!
Most of us have heard that among the umbrella herbs there is a very dangerous plant called poisonous hemlock (or hemlock). In any case, the biology teacher at school probably talked about this.
And it’s right that they warn about the danger of the milestone. After all, hemlock is one of our most poisonous plants. Severe poisoning can occur within a few minutes after a small piece of the stem, and especially the rhizome, is eaten. And it’s far from a fact that after this the victim will be saved!
But look what happens. Everyone knows about the danger of the poisonous weed, but not many people understand the appearance of the plant and its characteristic features!
This is what a poisonous one looks like. A peculiar plant, isn't it?
This is what a poisonous hemlock looks like
One of the commentators on my article about, I remember, wrote that he did not risk trying, since he could “pick hemlock due to inexperience.”
But what does a poisonous weed have in common with a whine? With angelica or ? Moreover, with a kupyr? Perhaps only umbrella inflorescences. In my opinion, this is not enough.
Vekh poisonous: features, distinctive features, photos
Starting my short “cycle” about Umbelliferae, I have already said that it is almost impossible to distinguish these plants by their flowers and inflorescences.
The flowers are small, the petals are most often white. Umbrellas, of course, are different, but not too much, “not fundamentally.”
When identifying umbellifers, you need to evaluate several signs at once: look first of all at the leaves, then at the stem (color, spots, etc.), and often also at the rhizome. After all, most umbelliferous plants are rhizomatous perennials.
And you also need to understand that different plants live in different conditions. In no case will poisonous weeds live in places where squash and rosemary grow! And vice versa…
What are the main features of the poisonous weed, how does it differ from other umbrella plants?
His umbrellas are really not much different - they contain small flowers with five white petals.
This is how the poisonous flower blooms
Poisonous weed always grows near water, and often right in the water. The banks of slow-flowing lowland rivers, river backwaters, and more often overgrown lakes, low-lying swamps, or, in extreme cases, damp meadows - these are the habitats of hemlock.
The photo shows an overgrown oxbow lake, which has almost turned into a swamp. And on the right you can also see the hemlock bushes, which stand out with their bright green leaves.
Lowland swamp where poisonous weed grows (visible on the right)
And the leaves are very unique! And they are not at all similar to the leaves of the dream, nor to the leaves of the angelica, nor to the leaves of angelica. And especially nothing to do with carved leaves!
The leaves of the milestone are unique and not similar to the leaves of other umbelliferous plants.
The leaves of the milestone are twice or thrice pinnately dissected, that’s right. But the leaves are not triangular, but narrow and long – lanceolate, with a pointed apex and a serrated edge. The three leaves at the top are almost identical in size, and resemble a kind of “paw”.
The lower leaves are on long thick petioles. And when we see a “bush,” we are actually seeing a stem with leaf petioles extending from it. The upper leaves are much smaller in size and are sessile.
Judging by its leaves, hemlock can be more likely to be confused with hemlock than with other umbelliferae. But cinquefoil has a completely different stem, flowers, and rhizome. By the way, cinquefoil usually grows in the same places where it grows.
The stem of the poisonous milestone is hollow, “fist-shaped,” smooth, branched, up to a meter high. The stem is soft - much softer than the stems of “ground” umbrella plants: or angelica.
Stem of poisonous pole with lower leaves
And the most characteristic feature of the poisonous rodent is its tuberous rhizome, from which the stem grows. If hemlock has settled directly in the water, then there is no need to dig it up, just pull the stem and pull it out along with the rhizome.
Numerous roots extend from the rhizome. Most often they are white because they grow in water.
Cut the rhizome lengthwise. Several transverse chambers are visible inside. I photographed the plant at the end of summer. But in the spring these chambers are also filled with yellow liquid.
None of the umbrella plants have such rhizomes, only the poisonous weed!
The smell of the plant is quite pleasant, it’s true. Although I wouldn’t risk calling it, as they say, “carrot”. However, smells are a very subjective matter!
As for the taste of the rhizome... You know, when they write that the hemlock rhizome tastes like radish or rutabaga, one becomes a little embarrassed for the author. Who came up with this? Why is this rewritten from site to site?
A person who has “feasted” on a piece of stem, and especially the rhizome of a poisonous weed, becomes so ill within a few minutes that even after being saved, he is unlikely to remember his taste impressions!
The most poisonous plant is in the spring, when yellow liquid accumulates in its rhizomes. This color is determined by a substance called cicutoxin (can be translated as “hemlock poison”). This is truly a powerful poison that can cause fatal poisoning of herbivores and humans.
But even in other seasons of the year, vekh remains a very poisonous plant. Cicutoxin is not destroyed either by drying or cooking the plant. It dissolves perfectly in hot water, retaining its toxic properties. It can only be destroyed by the action of concentrated acids.
The poisonous weed blooms quite late, in July – early August. After flowering, fruits are formed. They are small (about 2 mm), almost round, split into two semi-fruits. The plant reproduces almost exclusively with the help of these fruits.
Infructescence of the poisonous milestone
Hemlock is widespread in both Eurasia and North America. Of course, only in those natural areas where there are swamps. In Russia it is found almost everywhere, except for the Arctic and the North Caucasus with Crimea. With the draining of swamps, veh becomes increasingly rare.
The most correct name would still be the name “milestone”. Although, in connection with modern “liberalism in philology,” the form of “milestones” is also allowed. Other names for the plant are varied: “dovetail”, “water rabid”, “mezhnik”, etc.
Signs of poisoning with a poisonous rodent and first aid in this case
A few minutes after consuming hemlock, nausea, vomiting, and colic in the lower abdomen appear. Characterized by dizziness, convulsions, dilated pupils of the eyes, foam at the mouth.
Cicutoxin attacks the central nervous system and can cause paralysis and death.
A person who has been poisoned by hemlock should undergo gastric lavage with a suspension of activated carbon as soon as possible. An aqueous colloidal solution of tannin is also used as an antidote. The victim should be urgently taken to the nearest medical facility.
Medicinal properties of poisonous weed
In the announcement of the article, I warned that there will be no recipes in this article. Why? Yes, because recipes on the Internet are not so much information as a reason to self-medicate.
But the poisonous plant is not very suitable for self-medication. Precisely because of its extreme toxicity.
Self-medication is generally dangerous. It should be treated by a specialist. Self-medication with poisonous plants is doubly dangerous.
Traditional medicine used the vekha rhizome in the form of ointments and tinctures, but only externally: for rubbing joints for rheumatism and gout, and for skin diseases.
But even in this case, caution is necessary. The plant is collected only with rubber gloves. After any contact with the pole, hands are washed thoroughly with soap.
However, of particular interest today is, of course, the use of poisonous drugs for oncological diseases. It has been proven that these drugs can really help the patient, selectively acting specifically on “cancer” cells.
But the use of vekha tincture for the treatment of cancer requires careful adherence to the dosage. The doses used are “homeopathic”, therefore, the treatment must be carried out by a homeopathic doctor.
In the 90s, the doctor Veniamin Vsevolodovich Yakovlev developed and in 2000 patented a drug for cancer, which he called “cicutin”.
In his publications, V.V. Yakovlev convincingly (at least for me, a non-specialist) describes the effect of cicutin and gives examples of how it has cured cancer patients.
Cicutin, according to its creator, unlike the tincture of the rhizome, does not contain particularly dangerous substances (cicutoxin). However, contrary to fairly widespread statements, V.V. Yakovlev in his book does not describe at all how to prepare cicutin at home, but only gives a scheme for using a ready-made drug.
Meanwhile, the drug cicutin is still not recognized in oncological practice, and is not produced by the pharmacological industry.
Vekh poisonous is an interesting, but also dangerous plant. It has very characteristic features that make it quite easy to distinguish the plant from other umbrella plants. You need to know the signs of a poisonous wech, at least in order not to accidentally get poisoned by it. It is especially important that children know the plant. I hope I was able to introduce you to these features?
Undoubtedly, the poisonous plant has extraordinary medicinal qualities. As, indeed, are most poisonous plants. However, being in no way a specialist in medicine, I do not consider myself entitled to give any recipes for the use of this most dangerous representative of our flora for medicinal purposes.
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