Poisonous and medicinal plants can be collected. Poisonous plants. In the photo there is a raven's eye

POISONOUS PLANTS... When collecting plants in nature, you should remember that among them there are poisonous ones that are very dangerous for humans and animals. Many of them are strong drugs, but you need to know the dosage. Paracelsus, an eminent physician of the past, wisely stated: “Only the dose makes a substance a poison or a medicine.”

It turns out two-thirds of our common houseplants are poisonous. Back in the 15th century, it was known about the strong poisonous properties of indoor Dieffenbachia. Slaves in the West Indies were forced to eat its leaves as punishment. After this, the person could not speak for several days: the leaves of this plant contain crystalline needles (druze) of calcium oxalate, which penetrate and burn the mucous membrane of the mouth, pharynx and eyes.

I don’t know how true this is, but they say that you need to give your sick friend a pot of alocasia or dieffenbachia, milkweed, acalypha, aloe, kalanchoe, oleander, geranium... And you will save him from serious illnesses, many ailments. You will see how he will become prettier and stronger. Not immediately, gradually, imperceptibly, over the years, poisonous indoor plants will suck diseases out of it, feeding on its diseased cells; their biogenic stimulants will certainly enter the blood through respiration.

As you know, many plants improve the microclimate in the house, absorbing large quantities of toxins, acids, alkalis from the air... But still, be careful! We advise you to keep poisonous indoor plants away from small children and pets...

List of some indoor plants considered poisonous...

The Kutrov family occupies the leading position in the list of deadly indoor plants. Among them are the most beloved and popular: adenium and oleander. Just one ingested oleander leaf can cause the death of an adult. All parts of this plant, especially the milky sap, stem and seeds contain poisonous cardiac glycosides, nerioside, oleandroside and saponins.

Euphorbias are frequent inhabitants of our apartments - euphorbia, akalifa, codiaum (croton), poinsettia irritate the skin, their juice can even cause eczema. Those of the euphorbias that are found in our country were once called “demon milk.” All representatives of euphorbias are poisonous, and in terms of the variety of toxic substances in the milky sap they occupy first place among representatives of other plant families. Their juice contains alkaloids, saponins, poisonous resins, fatty acids, hydrocarbons and camphor, as well as glycosides, toxins and bitter extractives.

Aroids: aglaonema, alocasia, anthurium, dieffenbachia, zantedeschia (calla lilies), caladium, clivia, monstera, ivy, syngonium, spathiphyllum, philodendron, epipremnum. Overshadowing the vigilance of their owners with their beauty, they have become one of the most popular plants. The poisonous juice of these plants will cause swelling of the larynx and oral mucosa, and if it gets into the eyes, conjunctivitis and irreversible changes in the cornea.

Rhododendron and indoor azalea contain alkaloids that are used to produce narcotic drugs. It is possible that nectar collected from flowers is also poisonous.

Amarylis contains deadly poison for humans; one bulb is enough to cause paralysis.

Luxurious gloriosa contains colchicine, a valuable medicinal substance that in large doses causes nausea and vomiting.

Even the popular aloe, begonia, geranium, hydrangea, Kalanchoe, monstera, primrose, ficus, and cyclomen can be poisonous to some extent.

The most popular garden poisonous plants

Such delicate garden flowers are poisonous - tulip, hyacinth, narcissus, crocus, iris, lily of the valley, lily, lupine, chrysanthemum, snowdrops, delphinium, aconite, foxglove, periwinkle. Even the water in which many of these plants stand becomes so poisonous that it can kill not only an animal, but even a small child, so you need to be extremely careful with these plants.

Blooming lilies emit a very strong aroma that causes dizziness, headaches, fainting and allergies. Under no circumstances should lily leaves be ingested, as this can lead to poisoning.

Poisonous buttercup / caustic /
Belongs to the ranunculaceae family. The herb is poisonous and contains the toxic substance protoanemonin. It has a neurotoxic and local irritant effect on the human body. Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain. When taking large doses of a toxic substance, the victim's blood pressure drops and convulsions occur. When buttercup juice gets on the skin, dermatitis occurs, especially in children. First aid: Gastric lavage, castor oil orally, give any diuretics. Prepare a mash of 200 ml of 10% castor oil emulsion, add 2 grams of biomycin, 2 grams of anesthesin, 20 grams of sugar syrup, give 1 tbsp. 5-6 times a day. Coating agents (tannin, raw eggs...).

May lily of the valley
Perennial herbaceous plant from the lily family. It has a creeping cone, from which two basal leaves emerge, surrounding a flower arrow with a cluster of white flowers, usually 10 - 12. The fruit is a red-orange berry. Lily of the valley blooms in May and bears fruit in August-September. The active ingredients of lily of the valley are cardiac glycosides. In official medicine, lily of the valley preparations are widely used in the treatment of cardioneuroses and heart failure. In addition, lily of the valley preparations are indispensable for those heart patients who cannot tolerate digitalis and its preparations. Lily of the valley preparations do not accumulate in the body with long-term use, so they are more harmless than any other glycosides. Cardiac glycosides of lily of the valley regulate energy and fat metabolism in the heart muscle, improve blood supply to the myocardium, improve metabolic processes in the body, and have a calming effect on the central nervous system.

Lily of the valley preparations are contraindicated for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. Lily of the valley is one of the plants that takes energy. Therefore, if you place a bouquet of lily of the valley flowers by your bed at night, you will experience general malaise and headaches.

All its parts are poisonous, especially severe poisoning develops in children after eating lily of the valley berries. There are known cases of fatal poisoning after drinking water containing a bouquet of lily of the valley flowers. In case of poisoning, the heart is the first to suffer. In case of mild poisoning, the matter is limited to nausea and vomiting. Gastric lavage and cleansing enema are necessary. Give carbolene (10-15 tablets) and small pieces of ice.

Common oleander
A beautiful lush tree with large white, pink and red flowers. The entire plant is poisonous. It is dangerous to taste the shoots and leaves, it is dangerous to breathe in the aroma of beautiful flowers. Under no circumstances should you allow oleander juice to get into your eyes when pruning trees. Even if you hold leaves and flowers in your hands, you need to wash your hands well with soap. Symptoms of poisoning: cramps and pain throughout the abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of skin sensitivity, convulsions. The pulse is slow at first, then its rhythm is disrupted, the victim feels a lack of oxygen and suffocation. There is a bluish discoloration of the skin. First aid: Give the victim complete rest, rinse the stomach with water with activated carbon and a 0.5% tannin solution, cold on the stomach, in case of nausea and vomiting, swallow pieces of ice, hospitalization is required.

male fern
Perennial herbaceous plant. Found in damp, shady places. All parts of the fern plant are poisonous. Even when collecting plants, care should be taken. Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, depression of cardiac activity and respiratory center, blurred vision, convulsions. First aid: Saline laxatives and gastric lavage, introducing as much fluid as possible into the body, warm baths. It is strictly forbidden to take castor oil, as damage to the optic nerve may develop and blindness may occur.

Lumbago, or Dream-grass
Belongs to the ranunculaceae family. It is found in deciduous or mixed forests, most often on the edges, clearings, or thawed areas. All parts of the plant are covered with whitish-gray down. It blooms in April - May before the leaves bloom. The flowers of the plant are very beautiful, wide-bell-shaped, purple, or less often white, so they are often collected for bouquets. The plant is gradually becoming rare and is listed in the Red Book. IN folk medicine sleep herb is used as an expectorant for whooping cough, bronchitis, and pneumonia. It is often used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and sedative. It is used in gynecology, for joint diseases, epilepsy, neurotic conditions, hysteria, insomnia, and sexual overstimulation. Externally used as an antifungal and antimicrobial agent.

Great celandine
A perennial poisonous herbaceous plant of the poppy family. Reaches a height of 1 m, the stem is straight and branched. All parts of the plant contain a yellowish milky sap. Grows in shady, damp places, along the banks of rivers and lakes, in neglected gardens, thinned areas of forest. Celandine grass is harvested at the beginning of flowering. Celandine is one of the most popular medicinal plants in central and southern Russia. But before using it as a remedy, you need to know that celandine is considered a strong poisonous plant and an overdose can result in poisoning.

In case of poisoning, paralysis of the sensory nerve endings occurs, then the motor endings. In case of severe poisoning, paralysis of the heart muscle and death can occur. When exposed locally, celandine preparations cause inflammation and hyperemia. Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain. Sometimes cause convulsions. First aid: gastric lavage and introduction of as many fluids as possible into the blood. Celandine preparations are contraindicated during pregnancy, epilepsy, bronchial asthma, angina pectoris. They should also not be given to children.

Digitalis
This is a biennial herbaceous plant found in Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and in the southern regions of the Krasnodar Territory. Grows along forest edges, small groves and forests. All parts are poisonous. Symptoms of poisoning: In case of overdose or prolonged use, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. Urination may sharply decrease, even in the presence of edema. First aid: Gastric lavage, saline laxative, activated carbon orally, 2 tablets every 1 hour, general warm baths, administration of atropine, urgent hospitalization.

Poisonous plants used in folk medicine

Along with medicinal herbs that are beneficial to health, poisonous plants with dangerous properties are also found in nature. According to scientists, there are more than 10,000 poisonous plants on Earth. Many serious diseases are treated with plants. Already, more than 160 species of poisonous plants that have a number of remarkable properties are used in medicine. They can be used for heart disease, as a hemostatic and analgesic.

Poisoning by plants occurs mainly in the spring and summer. Most often, people who are unfamiliar with these plants, as well as children, who often grab and chew anything, are at risk. Most often, when poisoned by dangerous plants, the nervous system is affected. Many plants act directly on the gastrointestinal tract, causing very severe poisoning, and can also act on the heart muscle, liver, skin, causing various allergic reactions, blisters appear, and severe itching is noted. Let's look at some of them to know how to use them if necessary and what to be wary of when using them. Be careful and attentive.

Among the poisonous plants there are such well-known ones as henbane, datura, belladonna, wolf's bast, chokeberry... But there are also many that are less known: colchicum, wrestlers, larkspur, elderberry, euphorbia, mordovnik, foxgloves, corydalis, ash trees. Sometimes entire families of plants are poisonous: buttercups, poppies. In the southern and mountainous regions dangerous plants more, in the north - less.

White acacia
Grows mainly in the southern regions of Russia. Its height can reach 15 m. It blooms in May with white fragrant clusters of flowers. Some of them love bees. Acacia flowers are used for medicinal purposes. The roots and bark of acacia contain substances that are harmful to our body and can cause poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, cramping abdominal pain, diarrhea. There may be bloody stools, blood in the urine, acute cardiovascular failure. Severe mental disorders, convulsions, and loss of consciousness are possible. First aid: Gastric lavage 2-3 times, add 2-3 grains of potassium permanganate to the water when rinsing. Give activated carbon 2 tablets every 2 hours. In case of severe poisoning, give cardiac medications - valocordin, hawthorn tincture... And be sure to call a doctor.

Aconite (fighter root, blue buttercup, Issyk-Kul root)
Genus from the buttercup family. The poisonous properties of aconite have been known since ancient times. It is found in forests and copses, in ravines and gardens, along the banks of rivers and lakes. The degree of danger of a plant depends on the time of year, soil and age. The tubers of the plant are the most poisonous. Yellow flowers aconite are very beautiful, but it is not recommended to collect them for a bouquet. Symptoms of poisoning: drooling, burning in the mouth, numbness of the tip of the tongue, lips, tips of the fingers and toes, a feeling of crawling, sensation of heat and cold in the extremities, blurred vision, breathing becomes more rapid and shallow, sudden cessation of breathing may occur. Blood pressure drops sharply, cardiac activity is disrupted. First aid: Gastric lavage, saline laxatives, activated carbon, 2 tablets every hour. If the heart weakens and breathing is weak, artificial respiration and chest compressions are performed. Call a doctor.

Henbane black
A poisonous plant from the nightshade family. Belongs to the category of weeds. An inconspicuous plant with large flowers with a funnel-shaped dirty white corolla covered with small purple veins. Blooms all summer, has bad smell. The fruits appear in June-August. The seeds are located in a two-nest box, widening towards the bottom. The top of the box is closed with a lid. At the age of two, the root is turnip-shaped, up to 2.5 cm thick, gray-white inside. Distributed everywhere, growing in gardens, orchards, vacant lots, fields, and near homes. The plant is very dangerous. In one season it produces up to 10,000 seeds. Symptoms of poisoning: within 30-40 minutes dry mouth, thirst, motor agitation, blurred vision, breathing, dizziness, general weakness, nervous system disorder appear. The victim behaves violently. “I’ve eaten too much henbane,” people say. In severe cases, loss of consciousness, convulsions occur, and death may occur. First aid: urgent gastric lavage, constant observation, hospitalization

Belladonna (belladonna)
A perennial poisonous herbaceous plant from the nightshade family with a thick green or purple stem. Reaches a height of 1.5-2 m. The leaves are large, ovate, entire and pointed. The lower leaves are alternate, solitary, the upper leaves are arranged in pairs, usually one of them is larger than the other, covered with small veins. The flowers are large, solitary, tubular-bell-shaped. Blooms in June-August, bears fruit in September. Belladonna is more common in the southern regions of our country - Crimea, Caucasus. All parts of the plant are dangerous. Children who are attracted to the shiny, cherry-like belladonna berries are more often poisoned. 3-5 berries are enough to cause severe poisoning in a child. Symptoms of poisoning: dry mouth, hoarseness, nausea, dizziness, fever, redness of the face, rapid pulse. In severe cases, convulsions and hallucinations occur. Coma and death may occur. First aid: urgent gastric lavage, constant observation, hospitalization.

Hemlock
Belongs to the genus of weeds. This is a biennial poisonous plant from the Umbelliferae family; in the early years it looks like parsley. Has a mousey smell. It grows in neglected and abandoned areas, in weedy places, along the banks of lakes and rivers. Symptoms of poisoning: There is a change in the central nervous system. The limbs become heavy and unruly, and paralysis develops. Death occurs from paralysis of the respiratory center. First aid is the same as for henbane poisoning.

Hogweed
A plant from the umbrella family - all parts are poisonous. Upon contact with the plant and when the juice gets on the skin, inflammatory phenomena develop. First aid: rinse the skin with water, lubricate the damaged areas with an alcohol solution of methylene blue, apply ointment with hydrocortisone or anesthesin.

Veh poisonous or hemlock
In marshy places you can find a tall, up to 130 cm, umbrella plant with the scent of parsley. This is a poisonous hemlock or hemlock. The whole plant is very dangerous. Almost immediately after the poison enters the human body, headache, vomiting, and abdominal pain begin. In severe cases - death.

Wolf's bast (wolfberry)
Distributed in the Caucasus, in the middle forest and forest-steppe zones of Russia, in Western and Central Siberia. This is an erect shrub that blooms in May-April with fragrant pink tubular flowers that sit on leafless stems and branches in groups of 2-3 inflorescences. The fruits are bright red, juicy drupes cover the stem and branches below the leaves in July-August. The entire plant is poisonous. Symptoms of poisoning: when ingesting juice or berries, acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa is observed. The victim complains of pain in the throat, stomach, dizziness, convulsions, and vomiting. First aid: Gastric lavage followed by ingestion of egg whites and water. Taking activated carbon 3-5 grams 3 times within 1 hour. Deep enema with clean warm water. It is not recommended to eat rough and hard foods during the week.

Crow's eye (quatrefoil)
Belongs to the lily family, perennial, glabrous stem, up to 35 cm tall. At the top of the stem there are 4 leaves, collected in a whorl. Blooms in May-June. The fruit is a bluish-black berry that ripens in August. The plant is very dangerous. The fruits cause vomiting, and if you eat a lot, severe poisoning occurs. Not used in official medicine. In folk medicine they use it very carefully in the form of a tincture: 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of vodka, leave in a dark place for 14 days. Shake occasionally. Strain. It is used for pulmonary tuberculosis, mental disorders, and chronic headaches. Symptoms of poisoning: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dry mouth, photophobia, swallowing and speech disorders, convulsions, hallucinations, cardiac activity is depressed. Coma and death may develop. First aid: gastric lavage followed by ingestion of activated carbon 3-5 grams and enveloping agents ( egg white, starchy mucus, milk), high enema. Urgent hospitalization.

Field bindweed
There are more than 35 species of bindweed in the world. In Russia, field bindweed is considered the most common. Bindweed has a long curly or creeping stem up to 1 m long. The flowers are white or pink and have a pleasant smell. Considered a weed, it grows in fields, vegetable gardens, along roads, and on abandoned plots of land. The main active ingredient of the plant is convulvin, which has a strong laxative effect, especially in the roots. In folk medicine, field bindweed is used as a laxative, diuretic and hemostatic agent. Used in the form of powder, infusion and tincture. Powder from the roots is used for severe constipation, drink 1 gram (at the tip of a knife). The powder is used externally for purulent wounds in the form of powders. Tincture: pour 2 parts of the grass and flowers of field bindweed with 4 parts of vodka. Leave for 14 days in a dark place, strain. Take 10 drops 2 times a day as a hemostatic and laxative. Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. If these symptoms appear, you must stop taking these bindweed preparations, cleanse the stomach and intestines with lavage and an enema. Convolvulus preparations are contraindicated for children and pregnant women.

Datura common
This is an annual herbaceous plant with a forked-branched erect stem up to 1.5 m high. It belongs to the nightshade family. The leaves are large, alternate, on long petioles, pointed, toothed. The leaves are up to 25 cm long, 4-6 cm wide. The leaves are dark green above, light green below. The flowers are white, large, single up to 6 cm. They are located in the forks of the stem. Datura blooms in June-August and bears fruit in September. The plant emits an unpleasant, intoxicating odor. Datura grows in abandoned places, along roads and fences. Distributed in southern Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Datura leaves are collected for medicinal use. They are dried in the shade and crushed. In folk medicine, Datura is used for bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, convulsive cough, spasms, and convulsions. Used as tincture or leaf powder. Symptoms of poisoning and first aid measures for poisoning with dope are the same as for poisoning with belladonna.

Larkspur (spur)
Larkspur belongs to the buttercup family. This is an annual or perennial plant. It has a straight, bare and branched stem up to 1 m high. The flowers are purple, less often white or pink. Blooms from June to September. Widely distributed in the southern and middle regions of the country. Refers to weeds. Some alkaloids contained in the plant are used in anesthesia during surgical operations. Traditional medicine recommends the use of larkspur in the treatment of helminthic infestations and jaundice. Externally, preparations from it are used in the form of compresses for fractures. It is not recommended to use the plant inside, as the plant is very poisonous. Symptoms of poisoning: impaired breathing and cardiac activity, a sharp drop in blood pressure, convulsions. First aid: gastric lavage, laxatives and emetics. In case of cardiac arrest - artificial respiration.

Indian hemp (hashish, marijuana, anasha...)
Poisoning is possible by inhaling tobacco smoke along with these substances, as well as by ingesting them. These poisonous plants have a psychotropic effect on the body due to their narcotic, halluciogenic effect on the central nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning: in case of poisoning, psychomotor agitation occurs, the pupils dilate, tinnitus, and vivid visual hallucinations appear. After 2-3 hours, general weakness, lethargy, tearfulness and long, deep sleep occur. During sleep, the pulse is slow and body temperature is reduced. There may be a drop in blood pressure. First aid: gastric lavage, activated carbon, 2 tablets every hour, diuretics, drugs that support heart function, call a doctor.

European hoofweed
Another very dangerous evergreen herbaceous plant is a decoration of our deciduous and mixed forests. The leaves are bright green, leathery, shiny. The flowers are solitary, small, white on the outside, dark purple on the inside. The plant blooms in May and bears fruit in July. Symptoms of poisoning: myocardial stimulation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased blood pressure. In case of severe poisoning, there may be acute damage to the renal glomeruli. First aid: Gastric lavage with a solution of potassium permanganate. Inside mucous decoctions, egg white. High cleansing enema.

In official medicine, coffin is not used. In folk medicine it is used as a mild laxative, choleretic and diuretic. It is especially widely used for inflammation of the sciatic nerve. In some regions of Russia, the plant is used as an anthelmintic and antifever agent, for the treatment of neurasthenia, alcoholism, and in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. To treat chronic alcoholism, use the root of the European hoofed grass: 1 tsp. finely ground root, pour 1 cup of boiling water, leave in a tightly sealed container for 3 - 4 hours, strain. Take with vodka (pour 1 tablespoon discreetly into a glass of alcohol). The plant is effective. After 3-4 doses, most alcoholics develop a persistent aversion to alcohol. As an emetic, take 1/2 g of root powder per dose. M.A. Nossal recommends taking an infusion of coffin root with budra herb and agrimony herb to treat chronic bronchitis.

Almond
A low fruit tree with falling leaves. It is found in two varieties - sweet and bitter. Bitter almonds are poisonous. Children can be poisoned by 5-10 fruits. Bitter and sweet almonds are identical in appearance, but they differ sharply in taste and chemical composition. Bitter almonds contain hydrocyanic acid, so the symptoms of poisoning and emergency measures will be the same as for stone fruit poisoning.

Nightshade bittersweet
Berries, especially unripe ones, and grass are poisonous. Ripe fruits are eaten. From mid-summer to September, berries hang on the plants of bittersweet and black nightshades. First they are green, then red or black. Children often suffer from eating unripe berries. Symptoms of poisoning: dizziness, dilated pupils, unsteadiness of gait, tachycardia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, psychomotor agitation, hallucinations. First aid: Saline laxatives and gastric lavage, oral diuretics in therapeutic doses.

In one of the old handwritten collections of the 16th century, the following is said about dream-grass: “Son-grass is small in itself, grows in groves and on hills, the color is blue, it blooms about St. Nicholas, and when it has finished blooming, all the columns are fluffy: it is good from the joint he drives out aches and hernias, and cleanses the womb, and induces sleep, but through negligence of acceptance he causes death.” First aid: Rinse the stomach, activated charcoal and other coating agents (eggs, milk). In case of vomiting and pain in the stomach, swallow pieces of ice.

Sarep mustard cultivated, but it easily runs wild. The entire plant contains toxic substances. Their maximum is in unripe seeds. In acute poisoning, salivation, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting begin.

When picking berries in swampy areas, you can inhale fumes essential oil, allocated wild rosemary. Weakness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting occur, and in severe cases, suffocation. First of all, the poisoned person must be taken away, into fresh air, and, if necessary, given artificial respiration.

Weeping ram- a small herbaceous perennial, occasionally found in our forests. The entire above-ground part is poisonous. The main symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, numbness of the tongue. In severe cases - atrial fibrillation, fainting, collapse.

Tansy- a well-known medicinal plant, sometimes used as herb when cooking fatty meat and poultry. In case of overdose, the kidneys and central nervous system are damaged.

If a person is poisoned, he must be immediately shown to a doctor. But if help is far away, you need to rinse the stomach as soon as possible, give a laxative, absorbents (activated carbon), precipitants (tannins), oxidizing agents (1% solution of potassium permanganate), neutralizing (soda, sour drinks), enveloping substances (starch mucus), egg white, milk. If vomiting occurs, the patient should be given ice cubes.

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Poisonous medicinal plants

Introduction

1. How to collect plants

2. Drying and storing herbs

Literature

Introduction

Almost 500 thousand species of plants are known to science, of which only about 290 plants are described in the atlas of medicinal plants, which does not mean that the remaining plants are devoid of healing properties. An ancient legend tells how a healer sent his student into the forest with the task of bringing several completely useless plants, but the student could not complete the teacher’s task, since he did not find a single useless plant. As the American philosopher R. Emerson wrote, “any weed is a medicinal plant, the virtues of which have not yet been revealed.” Any plant is given to us by nature for our benefit, and the task of man is to correctly understand its purpose.

Researchers have found that peoples ancient world up to 21 thousand plant species were used. Already at the most early stages During the development of mankind, plants were not only a source of food for people, they helped people get rid of diseases. The oldest medical treatise that has reached us is a tablet found during excavations of a Sumerian city (III millennium BC). In 145 lines in the Sumerian language, 15 recipes are given.

The culture and knowledge of the ancient Sumerians was inherited by the Babylonians, who used them in medicinal purposes licorice root, datura, henbane, flaxseed, etc. The Babylonians noticed that sunlight negatively affects the healing properties of some plants, so they dried them in the shade, and some herbs were even collected at night. Plants were widely used in China, India, and Tibet. Back in 3216 BC. e. Chinese Emperor Shen-nun wrote a work on medicine, Ben-tsao (Herbalist), which mainly described herbal remedies. Chinese medicine has used more than 1,500 plants.

Ancient Indian medicine, set forth in Ayurveda (1st century BC), used about 800 plants, which are still used today. From the 3rd century. n. e. The cultivation of medicinal plants began in India.

Tibetan medicine arose on the basis of Indian medicine, and in the treatise on Tibetan medicine “Zhud-Shi” there is a large section devoted to the use of medicinal plants.

Avicenna's book "The Canon of Medical Science" describes about 900 plants and methods of their use.

In the Eber Papyrus, dating back to the 6th century BC, the Egyptians collected more than 900 recipes for herbal treatment various diseases. And herbal treatment came to Europe from Ancient Greece.

The effect of herbal medicines is determined by the active substances contained in various parts of the plant: alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, essential oils and others. It cannot be said that herbal preparations completely replace synthetic drugs, but nowadays herbal medicine (treatment with medicinal plants) is experiencing its rebirth.

Scientific medicine began its development in Ancient Greece. The founder of scientific medicine was Hippocrates (460-370 BC). In his medical practice he used about 200 medicinal plants and used them without processing. Hippocrates believed that medicinal substances are found in nature in optimal form and medicinal plants in their raw form and in the form of juices have the best effect on the human body. The ancient Greek physician wrote that “medicine is the art of imitating the healing effects of nature.”

IN Ancient Rome medicine developed under the strong influence of Greek medicine. Doctors still use it famous recipes herbal medicines of the Roman physician Galen, and it is not without reason that pharmaceutical production using plant raw materials is called galenopharmaceutical. Galen's works were of great importance not only for ancient Roman medicine, but also for the subsequent development of medicine and pharmacy. Of greatest importance are his two herbal books, which describe more than 300 herbal remedies. Gallen, in contrast to Hippocrates, believed that plants have two principles: one of them has a healing effect on a sick organism, the other is useless or even harmful. The active principle prefers the liquid to the dried plant, so it is easy to separate it from the useless one. To do this, the medicinal plant should be infused or boiled with water, wine, or vinegar. Gallen introduced the technology for obtaining such dosage forms as tinctures and extracts. Extracts from medicinal plants quickly gained popularity in all European countries. Galen had his own pharmacy in Rome, where he himself prepared medicines for the sick. He described the production of powders, pills, ointments, plasters, mustard plasters, and preparations. poisonous medicinal plant treatment

It's no secret that in last years Interest in herbal preparations has increased significantly. Returning to the experience of traditional medicine, in this case herbal medicine, people strive to avoid many side effects inherent in antibiotics and other synthetic drugs. During the existence of mankind, considerable experience has been accumulated in the use of herbal medicines, and when used correctly, herbal medicines have a milder effect, are less toxic than synthetic ones and do not cause addiction or allergies. Moreover, plants not only do not suppress the body’s defenses, but, on the contrary, are active against many strains of microorganisms that have already become resistant to antibiotics, and are able to strengthen a person’s immunity, thereby helping him cope with the disease. However, it should be noted that all this is true only if they are used competently and correctly.

Unfortunately, there is an opinion among people that herbal medicine is absolutely safe and harmless, and accordingly it can be used without restrictions and medical supervision. If, when purchasing a chemically synthesized drug in a pharmacy, most patients are at least wary of it (which, in general, is correct), then the same people can take a decoction from a collection of medicinal plants on the advice of a neighbor almost without hesitation.

Meanwhile, such carelessness is dangerous, because among medicinal plants, even those widely used, there are many poisonous ones. And sometimes it is precisely this fact of toxicity that makes them medicinal, and their beneficial or harmful effect is determined by the dosage and, moreover, a fairly accurate one. Another thing is that in plants, unlike synthetic drugs, the active substances are in balanced complexes, and this fact, of course, softens and optimizes their effect. However, any drug, including a natural one, has both its indications and contraindications, and in case of an overdose, its therapeutic effect is replaced by a toxic one.

Thus, when using medicinal herbs for treatment, it is necessary to take into account all of the above. The optimal course is treatment by a professional herbalist, which is not always possible, therefore, using prescriptions for medicinal preparations yourself, and using background information, necessary:

strictly follow the dosage indicated in the prescription when mixing medicinal raw materials;

prepare a dosage form (infusion, decoction, tincture, etc.) accurately following the technology of its preparation;

follow the rules for storing the prepared form;

strictly adhere to the dosage when taking the finished medicine;

carefully study the contraindications of all components included in the collection and correlate them with the present diagnosis, as well as the patient’s past illnesses.

Only this approach will ensure optimal effect and safety of treatment using medicinal herbs. Below is a list of the main, most potent medicinal plants, the use of which requires special caution, as well as their main contraindications.

1. How to collect plants

Collection of herbs is wonderful, exciting activity for the whole family, which gives a person the opportunity to observe nature, comprehend its essence, and this already brings a person closer to nature, makes his life healthier and harmonious. In order for plants to truly give people healing, it is necessary to follow a few simple rules.

1. Plants should only be collected when good places- this means that for medicinal purposes, plants should be collected far from industrial centers (20-25 km), away from roads (at least 100-150 m); you cannot collect medicinal plants near fields treated with herbicides and pesticides; You should not collect medicinal plants near landfills.

It is safest to collect plants in places far from human habitation (where you can’t hear the crow of a rooster), or high in the mountains.

2. Plants must be collected on time; this means that it is best to collect plants in the morning after the dew has dried. You cannot collect plants after rain - when dried, they will lose color and smell.

3. Plants should be collected by a kind person in a good mood who wants to help people and himself. Collecting medicinal herbs is a whole ritual. Many folk healers, when collecting herbs, read prayers, apologize to the plant that is being plucked, and ask that it serve people with its healing power.

It is very important to know which parts of a given plant are the most healing and when it is time to collect them.

In many medicinal plants, the entire greenery is used, that is, the entire above-ground part. If the word “grass” is written in the collection recipe, this means the entire above-ground part: flowers, stem, leaves. In many plants, for example: wormwood, St. John's wort, motherwort, it is recommended to pick only the flowering tops - 10-15 cm.

From many medicinal plants, only the flowers are collected.

Flowers and "grass" are collected at the beginning of flowering, when the plant is at the zenith of its vitality. At the end of flowering, some of these forces will already be lost. The umbrellas of umbrella plants are torn off. In some plants, only the petals break off (mullein, blue cornflower).

Sometimes only the leaves of the medicinal plant are used. Leaves should be collected before flowering or at the beginning of budding. The leaves of spring plants used fresh for salads (nettle, birch, dandelion, primrose) are best collected when they have barely blossomed, soft, tender green - they already contain all the active ingredients in maximum concentration. The leaves are torn off by hand, usually the developed basal, low and medium stem leaves are collected. Leaves that are faded, wilted, eaten by insects or infected with fungi should not be collected. When collecting leaves, remember that you cannot remove more than 25% of the leaves from the plant so that the remaining leaves are enough for the normal life of the plant.

The roots of plants are dug out very carefully in the fall or early spring, i.e. after the above-ground part dies, when all Vital energy the plant is located at the root. Rhizomes and roots are first shaken off the ground and then washed in running water. The washed roots are laid out on a linen and dried in the sun. The roots of galangal, serpentine, burnet are dried in the sun; Valerian roots are only ventilated in the sun, further drying is done in the shade.

The seeds and fruits are collected when they are ripe.

The bark of trees and shrubs - oak, viburnum, buckthorn, aspen - should be collected in the spring during the period of increased sap flow. At this time, the bark is easily separated from the wood. Later, when growth stops, the bark is not removed. To remove the bark, ring-shaped cuts are made on young branches with a sharp knife at a distance of 25-50 cm from one another, they are connected with one or two longitudinal cuts, and then removed in the form of grooves. If the bark is covered with lichen growths, then they must first be thoroughly cleaned with a knife, otherwise the raw material will be spoiled and it will not be possible to obtain a full-fledged medicine from it. In buckthorn, the bark is removed from the trunks and branches, and in oak only from young lateral branches. Buckthorn bark can be used as a laxative after 1 year of storage. Fresh bark is poisonous and causes vomiting. The nauseating effect of the bark can be destroyed by heat treatment (heat at 100 °C for 1 hour).

Buds of, for example, birch, pine, spruce, poplar, and currant are also used as medicinal raw materials. The buds are collected in early spring, when they have swollen but have not begun to grow, usually in March-April. Large buds (pine) are cut with a knife, small ones (birch) are threshed after drying the branches. The kidneys should be dried long time and only in a cool, ventilated room, because in a warm room they will begin to grow. Or it is necessary to keep the buds for 10 days in the cold, then dry them at a temperature not exceeding 30-35 oC.

A significant part of the medicinal herbs used in medicine today are bred for commercial purposes. The chemical composition of herbs and the amount of active substances differ from those of wild plants, because these properties depend on the area and natural growing conditions. As is known, plants grown in the mountains or in the harsh climate of the Urals and Siberia contain more biologically active substances, i.e., where there are significant differences in day and night temperatures, summer and winter. But commercial breeding of plants with correct and reasonable agricultural technology is completely justified, since it guarantees a certain quality and protection of plants from environmental poisons, and also promotes the preservation and breeding rare species plants, the collection of which in natural conditions can lead to their complete destruction.

When collecting plants, leave at least 30% of the plants untouched; this is necessary for their normal reproduction in nature.

2. Drying and storing herbs

Properly collecting medicinal plants is not everything. Subsequent drying is no less important. Almost all medicinal plants must be dried, regardless of whether they are handed over to a pharmacy, processed at a pharmaceutical plant, or left by a collector for home use. Drying medicinal plants is not as simple as it might seem at first glance: drying in a damp or poorly ventilated area, as well as belated or premature collection of plants, can spoil the raw materials and turn out to be just a waste of time, effort, labor and money.

Before drying, plant raw materials are sorted, removing accidental parts of other plants or parts of the same plant that were not included in the preparation (for example, leaves in floral raw materials), as well as browned and damaged parts and other debris.

The process of drying the collected plants is the most significant moment in the harvesting process. There are several ways to dry plant materials: air-shade, air-solar and thermal with artificial heating.

Air shadow drying is used for herbs, leaves and flowers, which, under the influence of direct sunlight, fade, turn brown, and lose their natural color and proper appearance; the amount of active ingredients in such substandard raw materials is reduced. Such drying is carried out in well-ventilated rooms or attics, and in good weather - in the open air, but in the shade, under a special canopy, and better in the wind; enclosed spaces can be equipped with racks with retractable frames covered with mesh. You can also dry the raw materials on gauze hammocks, hanging them in the attic between the rafters. In hammocks, the gauze is pulled over spacers so that it does not wrinkle or tangle: hammocks are very convenient for drying, since in this case the raw material is ventilated not only from above, but also from below and from the sides, so drying is faster.

Air solar drying is used for root and rhizomatous raw materials containing tannins and alkaloids, as well as for juicy fruits.

With both drying methods, the raw materials are laid out in a thin layer (from 1 to 3 cm) and turned over at least once a day; When drying in the sun, the raw materials are removed indoors at night, and when drying in the shade, the doors and windows of the room in which the raw materials are located are closed at night.

Thermal drying with artificial heating is optimal for all types of raw materials, but temperature regime is specified for each type. Herbs, leaves, flowers, roots, rhizomes and bulbs are dried at a temperature of 50--60°, fruits and seeds - at 70--90°, all raw materials containing essential oils - at 35--40°C. Special dryers are used for this. In their absence, the raw materials are dried in Russian ovens. The oven should not be very hot, otherwise the raw materials will burn. To check the temperature of the oven, you need to throw a piece of paper into it: if it does not char or turn yellow, the raw materials can be placed. In the first 1-2 hours, the pipe is not closed; the damper should be placed on two bricks and the upper edge should be bent so that outside air is drawn in and warm air saturated with the moisture of the raw material comes out into the pipe. Recently, drying of raw materials began to be done in ovens of gas and electric stoves. The flame of the gas burner should be minimal (the heating regulator of the electric oven is on the “I” mark), the oven door is slightly open.

Dry fruits and seeds lose moisture even before threshing and require almost no drying. If necessary, they are dried outdoors or indoors.

The buds should be dried very carefully - for a long time and in a cool room, since they quickly bloom in warmth. Large buds (pines, poplars) are cut from the shoots directly on the spot, and small ones (birches) are harvested along with shoots 50-60 cm long and only threshed after drying; threshed shoots are used to make brooms. Harvesting of buds is carried out in concentrated cutting areas; they are simultaneously collected during sanitary and thinning fellings, as well as in plantings, but in this case - exclusively from the lower shoots.

When harvesting bark, young plants or shoots are cut down or cut down, and then the smooth bark is completely removed from them (old, cracked bark contains a lot of cork and few active ingredients). Partial harvesting of bark (that is, not from the entire shoot, but only from one side), which was practiced until recently, cannot now be recommended, since damaged plants become a breeding ground for phytodiseases that spread to surrounding plants; this contributes to the development of unsanitary conditions in the plant community. Harvesting bark, like buds, accompanies various cuttings in forestry, but is also possible under the forest canopy, as well as in regenerating cutting areas. Heat drying is preferable for bark, since during its harvesting it is still too cool and damp to dry the raw material in air. During drying, it is necessary to ensure that the pieces of bark, bent into grooves, do not fit into each other, otherwise they will mold and rot from the inside. The bark can be stored for 3 to 5 years.

When harvesting leaves, only the lower ones should be plucked so as not to damage the flowering and fruiting of plants. Thick and juicy petioles slow down drying, contain few active substances, so they are removed (in trifoli, or watch, coltsfoot). When collecting nettle leaves, the plants are first mowed down, and when the leaves wither and lose their pungency, they are torn off. It is unproductive to pick off small leathery leaves (of bearberry, lingonberry) by hand, so first the plant shoots are dried, and then the leaves are torn off from them, combing the branches, or they are threshed, discarding the stem parts. Final cleaning is carried out on grates. Leaves with thin leaf blades dry unevenly: the leaf blades dry out, but the veins and petioles remain soft. Therefore, such leaves are dried until the petioles become brittle. After drying, the leaves are raked into a pile and left for several days: due to their hygroscopicity, they are slightly moistened and crumble less when packed. Leaves are stored from 1 to 3 years.

The term “herbs” in pharmacognosy refers to the leafy and flowering stems of herbaceous plants - either the entire aerial part, or only the tops of the stems: for some species (thyme, sweet clover), the term “grass” means a mixture of leaves, flowers and small stems, and sometimes and the entire plant along with the roots (for example, marsh grass). Herbs are collected by cutting off the entire above-ground part at the level of the lower leaves with a knife, sickle or pruner. Do not touch bare stems. If the plant forms clean thickets, it is mowed with a scythe, and foreign impurities are removed before drying. For plants with rigid stems (wormwood, string, sweet clover), leaves and flowering tops are collected separately. When harvesting grass, the raw material must be cut and not plucked, so as not to uproot the entire plant. At home, herbs are usually dried in thin bunches, hanging them on ropes. In general, conventional drying is recommended for grass - shade drying, or heat drying with artificial heating. The grass is stored for 1-2 years.

Flowers should be collected at the beginning of flowering plants. If collected at the wrong time, they lose color or become crushed more than usual during drying. The term “flowers” means not only individual flowers, but also their parts (from mullein, for example, only the corollas are collected) and even entire inflorescences (baskets of chamomile, marigolds or linden inflorescences along with the covering leaf, etc.) When harvesting, flowers are torn off without pedicels , and baskets of asteraceous plants are collected by combing during collection, after which the pedicels are torn off. When collecting chamomile, special scoop combs are used. The baskets of Asteraceae are collected in the phase of horizontal arrangement of reed flowers, and those plants that have only tubular flowers are collected at the beginning of the blossoming of the marginal flowers. Increased grinding of dried flowers reduces the quality of medicinal raw materials or makes them unsuitable for consumption. When collecting flowers from trees and shrubs, sticks with hooks are used to bend down branches, and pruners or loppers are used for cutting. Flowers are the most delicate parts of the plant, so they should not be packed tightly in a closed container. It is best to collect them in baskets and, after collecting, dry them immediately, spreading them out in a 1 cm layer and without turning them over, so as not to fray. You can only stir up baskets of Asteraceae - tansy, chamomile, calendula, etc. The shelf life of flower raw materials is up to 2 years.

Fruits and seeds should be collected when fully ripe, with rare exceptions. In plants with extended flowering, the fruits ripen repeatedly, and while some of the fruits are not yet ripe, the ripe ones are already falling off - this leads to large losses. In this case, the tops of the plants are cut off at the moment when half of the fruits are ripe, then the plants are tied into bunches and hung to ripen all the fruits in a dry room. When ripe, the fruits fall off, they can be easily collected, and the dry sheaves can be threshed. Umbelliferous fruits (anise, fennel, caraway) should be collected early in the morning when there is dew or in damp weather. After drying, all dry fruits are sifted out from dust and foreign impurities, and finally cleaned on a winnowing machine.

3. Precautions when handling poisonous plants

Among even well-known medicinal plants, many are poisonous, but successfully used for medicinal purposes. Therefore, you cannot self-medicate without an accurate diagnosis of your disease by your attending physician and without his recommendation or advice on the possibility of using folk remedies at home.

Remember that any herb that is the most useful and harmless for others can turn out to be a powerful allergen for you. Hay fever is a very serious condition, caused only by the smell of herbs, but not the worst when, under the influence of an allergic reaction, swelling of the airways occurs too quickly. Therefore, even the herb approved for your treatment needs to be checked to see if it is compatible with your body. Herbalists always warn patients that the minimum dose should be used at the first appointment. And if you feel worse, if a rash appears on your face and hands, under no circumstances try to be treated with this particular herb again. In the arsenal of both scientific and traditional medicine there are enough other herbs of life, very similar in chemical composition, for the treatment of the same diseases.

So, rule one: “don’t hurt yourself!” Find out if this herb is right for you.

Rule two: you cannot be treated endlessly with the same herb. Find out from your doctor how many days you can take this medicine, and after how many days you should resume herbal medicine. Firstly, the body becomes “accustomed”; secondly, the body can become oversaturated with chemicals that were contained in the grass and helped you cope with the disease. But in large quantities, these same substances can cause irreparable harm to your body. Practitioners have noted cases where the uncontrolled and long-term use of such wonderful plants as, for example, St. John's wort, tansy, wormwood, lilac, immortelle, toadflax, pink clover, brought harm to the patient instead of relief.

To collect herbs, be sure to take scissors and a knife with you.

When collecting plants, try not to pick poisonous herbs with your bare hands; You cannot let their juice or dust from them get into your eyes and nose.

After collection, the poisonous herb should be dried in a place that is inaccessible to children and pets.

Raw materials containing toxic and potent substances should be stored in locked cabinets or pantries.

Be sure to label jars and boxes of herbs with the name of the herb and the time of harvest.

Notes.

1. To collect medicinal herbs, be sure to take scissors and a knife with you. You will not only significantly speed up harvesting and make labor easier, but also save the life of the plant.

2. Do not put different herbs in one bag and dry them separately. Remember that a mistake can harm you.

Literature

1. Great medical encyclopedia.

2. Reference book on folk and alternative medicine. Tula: Ariel, 1996.

3. Danikov Nikolay Illarionovich Your herbalist: M.: RIPOL, 1996.

4. Home herbalist. Smolensk: Rusich, 1999.

5. Home pharmacy. M: Eksmo-Press: Lik press, 2001.

6. E.T. Mikhailenko, V.E. Radzinsky, K.A. Zakharov. Medicinal plants in obstetrics and gynecology. K.: Zdorov, I, 1984. 136 p.

7. V.E. Radzinsky, H.A. Anneev, O.A. Anneeva. Medicinal plants of Turkmenistan in obstetrics, gynecology and pediatrics. Ashgabat, 1994, 175 p.

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Poisonous plants:

Poisonous plants are not necessarily guests from exotic countries; many of them grow in middle lane Russia, they are inconspicuous and rarely paid attention to. Leaves spotted hemlock (Conium maculatum) are very similar to parsley, it has red spots on the stem, it grows in wastelands and is considered a weed. And here cicuta(poisonous milestone) lives in wetlands, along the banks of lakes and rivers, often in water. Hemlock has dissected leaves with narrow lanceolate lobes and umbels of whitish small flowers.

Andrea Moro

Veh poisonous (Cicuta virosa) or hemlock is one of the most dangerous plants, all parts of which, especially the rhizome, contain cicutotoxin and other potent alkaloids. The poisonous alkaloid in hemlock is horsemeat, which produces the same effect as the poison curare. Signs of poisoning by these plants are convulsions, unconsciousness, paralysis, ending in respiratory arrest.

It could end in tragedy home use yew berry (Taxus baccata) as a medicinal plant. Even animals can be poisoned by young yew needles, which contain the alkaloid taxane. This alkaloid affects the central nervous system.

Since the 1990s, yew tree alkaloids have been used to produce antitumor agents in official medicine.

naturgucker

Kleshchevina (Ricinus) is often grown as an ornamental annual. Its large seeds are shaped like a tick. They are not only a source of castor oil, but also contain a poisonous protein enzyme - ricin, which causes paralysis of the nervous system.

F. D. Richards

The smell and appearance of poisonous plants sometimes suggests, and sometimes hides, the danger that threatens us upon contact with them. Pink periwinkle and purple colchicum can kill humans. In bulbs autumn colchicum (Colchicum autumnale) colchicine accumulates, which has the same effect as arsenic. Pink periwinkle, or Catharanthus pink (Catharanthus roseus), or Pink periwinkle is also poisonous, but its potent alkaloids are used in modern medicine as an antitumor agent.

Carl Lewis

IN wolf berries (Daphne mezereum), which temptingly turn red on the trunk of the plant, contains the glycoside daphnin and the poisonous resin meserine, which at the initial stage causes an unbearable burning sensation in the throat, severe bitterness in the mouth, dizziness and swelling of the tongue. When you admire spring lilac flowers wolfberry, do not pick or bite off a twig with your teeth, this is very dangerous.

kras3

Bright orange berries lily of the valley (Convallaria) are also dangerous. Glycosides lily of the valley, foxgloves, bought affect the rhythm of the heartbeat, the nervous system and the stomach. Even the water in the vase where these flowers stand is dangerous.

Irina Durnova

At the end of summer in a coniferous forest you can find raven eye (Paris) - black-blue berry between large leaves. Make sure that when walking through the forest, your children do not mistake a raven's eye for a blueberry or blueberry.

Be careful with plants with bright and juicy fruits unless you know exactly what kind of plants they are!

Ruud de Block

Henbane juice contains the alkaloids hyoscyamine, scopolamine and atropine, which causes hallucinations, delirium, rapid heartbeat and confusion. A small amount of these substances was used in ancient times for pain relief during surgical operations.

Henbane black (Hyoscyamus niger), like potatoes, belongs to the nightshade family. It grows on the outskirts of fields and wastelands. The height of this poisonous plant is about 1 meter; burgundy veining appears on the yellowish flowers. After flowering, pitcher-shaped white boxes with round-shaped seeds appear on henbane. People who chew these seeds to calm down toothache, they feel dry mouth, their speech is impaired, and their pupils dilate, mental agitation can turn into madness. The same symptoms appear from red berries black nightshade And bittersweet nightshade.

Rolf Muller

It grows in landfills and wastelands stinking dope, it is better not to breathe its smell, and touching its flowers is very dangerous. The fruits of the “dope-herbs” contain the alkaloid daturin, which also contains henbane.

Other plants from the nightshade family are also dangerous: belladonna, magic mandrake, tobacco from South America and Peruvian coca.

NYSIPM

Dangerous for humans and hogweed, from its poisonous stems you cannot make either pipes or sprinklers. Hogweed leaves release essential oils that burn in the sun. They also act on human skin and Caucasian ashberry And angustifolia ash.

Many buttercups are also poisonous; they produce dangerous glycosides and essential oils that irritate the nose, larynx and eyes. And buttercup juice leads to sharp pain in the stomach. Among the buttercups there are many poisonous herbs: Adonis, hellebore, catchment area, lumbago, black crow and other plants.

Adam Gor

But poisonous plants can not only cause harm; many of them are useful. About 160 species of poisonous plants were used in folk medicine in Rus'.

Tanja Niggendijker

It's hard to imagine that a very tasty Indian cashew nut the peel contains poisonous cardol, which can cause abscesses on human skin. In India, this substance is used to protect building materials from ants.

tropical fruit mango It is healthy and pleasant to taste, but the smell of its flowers can cause allergies in a person. The unripe peel, branches and trunk of the mango tree contain a poisonous gum that leaves blisters and swelling on the skin.

You can also get poisoned poppy sleeping pills. Unripe poppy pods and ovaries are poisoned by poisonous milky juice.

Celandine also contains milky juice, which can cause burns on the skin. Celandine juice will cause big trouble if it gets into the stomach. Currently, celandine alkaloids are being studied for medical use as a inhibitor of the growth of malignant tumors.

fifeflora

It should be understood that most poisonous plants do not pose a serious danger if accidentally contacted with them. A lot depends on the dose of their use. As a rule, you can be poisoned by poisonous plants if you use them for self-medication, without consulting a doctor, relying on the advice of “knowledgeable people.”

What amazing powers
The earth has invested in stones and flowers!
There is no such fiber in the world,
Which she wouldn't be proud of
How can you not find such a basis,
Where there would be nothing bad.
Everything is useful, by the way, and not on time -
All blessings turn into vice.
For example, the vessels of this flower:
One thing about them is good, the other is bad.
Its flowers have a healing aroma,
And in the leaves and roots there is a strong poison.
So they split our soul in two
The spirit of kindness and evil self-will.
However, in those where evil triumphs,
The black hollow of death gapes

"Romeo and Juliet", William Shakespeare.
Translation by Boris Pasternak.

The ancient Greeks, explaining the effect of medicinal plants, sometimes endowed them with supernatural powers. In ancient Greek, the word “pharmakon” means poison, medicine, and witchcraft at the same time. From the same word, the science of medicinal plants is now called, the science of medicines in general is called, and those who prepare medicines in pharmacies are called pharmacists.

IN different time and in different countries Potions were prepared from poisonous plants for criminal purposes. “Insidious”, “harmful”, “enemy plants” - whatever they call these plants! Many of them have also been known since ancient times to have remarkable healing properties when taken in small doses. Ancient doctors said that poison, skillfully applied, can serve as a medicine. Russian medicine alone used more than 160 species of poisonous plants. There are many of them in the medicine of India, Tibet, China, Africa, and America.

For the most part, poisons can be cured if you only know how and in what quantities to use them. Small doses of poison contain painkillers, sedatives, healing medications, medications for infections, heart disease, liver disease, and kidney disease.

In the plant kingdom, scientists count 10 thousand species of poisonous plants. That's a lot.

True, most of them are not always dangerous, but only during certain periods of their development.

It happens that the same plant is poisonous in different ways depending on the conditions in which it grows. A plant grown in the shade is more poisonous. There are more poisons in it in the morning than in the evening or at night. It also depends on the composition, its temperature, and humidity.

Celery that grows in swampy places tastes disgusting and poisonous, but grown in a garden bed is pleasant, nutritious and medicinal.

Toxic substances are distributed unequally in different parts of plants. Some have poisonous bark, others have flowers and leaves, while others have almost the entire range of poisons concentrated in the roots. Everything about potatoes is poisonous except the tubers. A toxic substance, solanine, accumulates in sprouted or greened tubers. True, it is partially destroyed during cooking. Tomatoes (both fruits and seeds) are not poisonous, but the leaves, stems, and roots are poisonous. Sometimes the entire plant is poisonous.

There is no single sign that would help distinguish a poisonous plant from a non-poisonous one.

There are still cases of poisoning by poisonous plants - the result of people, especially children, carelessly handling unfamiliar herbs. They don’t know that among them there are those who cannot even be touched, much less taken into. To avoid trouble, you need to know the poisonous plants that you can encounter in the forest, in the field, and even in your flower garden.

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………...3

1. Medicinal plants……………………………………...……..4

1.1 Dandelion medicinal…………………………………….…9

1.2 Yarrow………………………………………………………...13

2. Poisonous plants……………………………………………..……16

2.1 Spotted or speckled hemlock……………………………….16

2.2 Hellebore……………………………………………………..………..19

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..25

Literature………..………………………………………………………..….26

Introduction

Herbs have served humans for thousands of years. From their own experience, primitive people comprehended their healing properties and passed on the accumulated knowledge from generation to generation. Healing has been a sacrament since ancient times, so healers were very picky in choosing their students. The collection, production of medicines and treatment were accompanied by magical techniques and spells.

Already the outstanding ancient Greek physician and thinker Hippocrates (about 460 - about 370 BC) described 236 plants that were used in medicine of that time. Among them are henbane, elderberry, mustard, iris, almonds, mint. In Russia, herbal treatment has long been known and popular: even princes were interested in the cultivation and use of medicinal plants. At the beginning of the 18th century, under Alexei Mikhailovich, the Pharmacy Order was created, supplying the court and army medicinal herbs, and Peter I ordered the creation of apothecary schools and apothecary gardens - the first plantations of medicinal plants in Russia. Much has changed since then, but interest in medicinal herbs has not faded away - on the contrary, it is especially great now. Thus, the share of preparations from plants accounts for more than 40 % all medicines, the remaining 60 % - artificially synthesized substances.

Unfortunately, we are exhausting the golden fund of wild medicinal plants. Many medicinal plants are listed in the Red Book of Endangered Species. To preserve the possibility of obtaining valuable drugs based on medicinal plants, special plantations are created. All plants that have healing properties are comprehensively studied by pharmacists - specialists in creating medicines: they determine their chemical composition, identify biologically active substances, and conduct drug tests. And only after this the plant receives a medicinal “passport”: it is included in the official list - the State Pharmacopoeia.

Even the Roman physician Claudius Galen, who lived in the 2nd century, emphasized that the effect of medicinal plants can be both healing and harmful.

1. Medicinal plants

In terms of their chemical composition, medicinal plants are not similar to each other, and their practical uses are very diverse. Some plants are used as vitamin carriers, others as a remedy, and others as a source of nutrition.

Before describing individual plants, I would like to introduce the reader a little to the main chemical substances that make up plants and determine their beneficial or medicinal effects.

All useful plants are valued primarily for the presence of biologically active substances in them, which have a certain therapeutic effect on individual organs or the entire human or animal body. As a rule, there are few of these substances in the plant, but they often have a strong effect.

The composition of plants, in addition to a large amount of water, up to 90 percent, includes various organic and mineral substances. Among the organic substances mentioned in plant descriptions, the most important biologically active substances are alkaloids. In composition, these are complex nitrogen-containing compounds of alkaline origin, found mainly in flowering plants. About 10 percent of the world's flora are considered alkaloid carriers, and the number of alkaloids isolated from plants has reached five thousand names. In their pure form, alkaloids are crystalline substances with a bitter taste, colorless and odorless. By the way, the toxicity of plants is most often due to the presence of alkaloids. Their content in the plant varies depending on the growing season, time of year, climate, growing zone, soil, etc., usually it is insignificant - from traces to three percent of dry weight. Moreover, the largest amount of alkaloids is observed in the plant at the stage of budding and flowering.

Glycosides Depending on the connecting principle, the two main parts - a sugar derivative and an aglycone, which has pharmacological activity, are divided into several groups. Among them is a large group of flavonoids, which got their name for their yellow color. This group of substances is endowed with a bactericidal, choleretic effect, the ability to reduce the permeability and fragility of capillaries, remove radioactive substances from the body, it is used as a cardiac and expectorant; there is evidence of its antitumor activity.

Tannins (tannids)- these are complex nitrogen-free, non-toxic compounds that have a yellowish color and darken when in contact with light, that is, they oxidize in air. Their content in plants ranges from traces to 35 percent of dry matter. For medicinal purposes, tannins are used as anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, hemostatic agents due to their ability to coagulate protein and form protective film on mucous membranes. Tannides precipitate not only proteins, but also alkaloids, glycosides, and heavy metals and are used in practice for poisoning with these substances.

Essential oils- aromatic, highly volatile, water-insoluble substances that give the plant a specific odor. Currently, more than 2,500 species of fragrant plants are known for which essential oils are a protective or attractive agent. Their content in plants ranges from traces to 20 percent. Plants containing esters or preparations made from them are widely used in the perfumery and food industries, some are used for medicinal purposes as sedatives, expectorants, analgesics, antimicrobial and anthelmintic agents.

Resins and balms are close to essential oils in chemical composition and are often found in the same plants. By appearance they are usually semi-liquid, sticky, with a specific odor, and are usually insoluble in water. Balms are resins that do not dry out for a long time. Resins and balms have bactericidal and antiputrefactive properties; they are used as a diuretic and laxative in medicine, used in cosmetics, as well as for the production of varnishes, plastics, paper, paints, etc.

Organic acids are an indispensable component of all plants along with proteins and carbohydrates. The most common are malic, citric, acetic, oxalic, formic, and benzoic acids. They give taste and sometimes smell to the plant; they are present in it in a free state or in the form of salts. All organic acids are widely used in medicine, food and perfume industries and other industries.

Vitamins- these are effective medicines necessary to maintain the life of humans and animals. Disruption of their balance in the body can lead to serious illnesses. In composition, they are very complex and diverse compounds, which are united only by their biological role and physiological effect on the body. Some of them are soluble in water, others in fats. Each vitamin has its own role and purpose in the body.

Enzymes, or biocatalysts, are substances that accelerate biochemical processes in plants and animals.

Carbohydrates. Among this group of organic compounds found in plants, the simplest are monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, etc.). By connecting with each other, they create more complex connections - disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, etc.), tri- and tetra-saccharides, polysaccharides, which include starch, inulin, pectin, gums, mucus, fiber, etc. All of them are widely used primarily in medicine, as well as in other sectors of the national economy.

Minerals play a very significant pharmacological role in plants. These include a very large group macronutrients(iron, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, magnesium, etc.) and microelements(copper, manganese, cobalt, arsenic, nickel, molybdenum, zinc, etc.). And although the content of mineral substances in plants is negligible, their role in the life of the human and animal body is undeniable, and the lack of one or another element can lead to serious diseases and disorders of the body’s functions.

In addition to a description of each plant and its distinctive features, information about places of growth and chemical composition, the reader will find here information about how the plant was used or is being used now, how, when and what parts to collect it, how to properly dry and store it.

Speaking about the use of medicinal plants in scientific and folk medicine, the author does not recommend using them as a means of treating a specific disease - this is a matter for doctors. General information about the purpose of this or that plant are drawn from the special literature indicated at the end of the book. And this information will be useful to those who are interested in medicinal plants, both for the purpose of collecting them to help medical institutions in their preparation, and for their own use on the advice of a doctor. The recipes given in some cases for preparing preparations from the most famous medicinal plants are taken from the same specialized literature, which has gone through more than one edition. In this regard, we also provide methods for preparing simple preparations from medicinal plants at home.

Infusion and decoction are extracts from medicinal plants. Infusions are prepared from loose parts of plants - leaves, flowers, stems, as well as from rough parts - woody stems, bark, roots and rhizomes, if substances that quickly volatilize (essential oils) or easily decompose under the influence of high temperature(glycosides). Decoctions are prepared from rough parts of plants that do not contain volatile active substances that decompose during prolonged heating.

The raw materials are pre-crushed: leaves, stems, flowers to a particle size of no more than 5 millimeters, roots, bark -3, fruits and seeds up to 0.5 millimeters. The crushed raw materials are weighed or measured and placed in an enamel or porcelain bowl and filled with boiled water. room temperature, close the lid and place in a boiling water bath. Heat the infusion for 15 and the decoction for 30 minutes with frequent stirring. After this, the infusions are cooled for at least 45, and the decoctions are cooled for 10 minutes at room temperature, filtered, the remainder is squeezed out and the required volume of water is added to the finished extract.

Decoctions and infusions are prepared, as a rule, in a ratio of 1:10, that is, 10 parts of infusion or decoction are obtained from one part of the raw material, but other ratios are not excluded. Due to the fact that infusions and decoctions quickly deteriorate, they are stored in a cool place for no more than 3-4 days.

Often, infusions and decoctions are prepared at home without boiling, pouring boiling water over the raw materials. In this case, you need to insist for at least 4-8 hours, and use the drug within one day.

When using infusions and decoctions externally for the treatment of skin diseases, mucous membranes, gargling, for baths, lotions, compresses, etc., you can use a more concentrated preparation - 1:5, which is prepared in the manner described above.

Powders are the simplest means of using medicinal raw materials, prepared from dried flowers, leaves, stems, roots and seeds of plants. Having separated the coarse stems, the plants are passed through a coffee grinder or thoroughly pounded in a mortar, then sifted through a sieve. Store powders in closed glass jars. Dry seasonings are also prepared from food plants.

Ointments for external use consist of medicinal substances evenly distributed on a base. They are prepared from dried plant powders, extracts, tinctures and fresh juice. Vaseline, unsalted lard and cow butter are most often used as a base. Ointments prepared with lard and cow butter are more effective, but quickly deteriorate.

Often, fresh plant juice is used both externally and internally for medicinal purposes. Finely chopped parts of fresh plants are passed through a meat grinder or juicer. The resulting pulp is squeezed out and not added to the remainder. a large number of water and squeeze again. You can prepare plant juice for future use by adding at least 20 percent alcohol.

Herbs and teas are mixtures of dried and crushed medicinal plants, sometimes with the addition of mineral medicinal substances. The collections are intended for preparing infusions, decoctions, rinses and poultices, as well as medicinal baths at home. In pharmacies, the packaging of the preparations always indicates in what ratios they should be prepared.

1.1 Dandelion officinalis

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with golden-yellow reed flowers collected in baskets. It blooms in April - June. The fruits ripen in May - June. Propagated by seeds. Dandelion roots are used. They are collected by digging them up during the period of wilting of the leaves (from August). The roots are washed in cold water, dried in air until the milky juice ceases to be released from the cut root. Dried in the shade under a canopy, in ovens or dryers at a temperature of 40 - 50°.

Shelf life: 5 years. Preparations (decoctions, extracts and pills) are used to stimulate appetite and improve the functioning of the digestive tract. Dandelion grows almost throughout Russia, except for the Arctic, Eastern Siberia and desert regions of the Far East. It usually grows in meadows, on roadsides, in parks, gardens and vegetable gardens, on forest edges and clearings.

Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Compositae family. In our country alone there are about 200 species. It is so widespread and ubiquitous that everyone knows it, young and old in the city and in the countryside. It scatters with millions of little suns (following the coltsfoot flowers) on green meadows, roadsides, in gardens, vegetable gardens - in a word, wherever there is a lot of sun and no dampness. The dandelion lives and blooms according to its own law: with sunrise, the yellow discs of flowers open, and with sunset, they close for the night, as if following their giant brother. It is interesting to watch a meadow with dandelions - during the day it seems to be covered with a yellow blanket, and in the evening someone invisible rolls up this blanket. In hot weather, the flowers close during the day. In our conditions, this is a rare phenomenon among wild plants.

Dandelion begins to bloom early and blooms until late autumn, changing generations. The flower is in the form of a yellow basket, standing on a hollow leafless tube of a peduncle, rising above the leaves with pinnately cut edges, which form a basal rosette. The length of the leaves can reach 15, even 25 centimeters in length and 5 in width. The dandelion root is taprooted, thick, and sometimes penetrates up to 60 centimeters deep.

Dandelion leaves contain ascorbic acid, vitamins A and B; manganese, boron, strontium, copper and other trace elements are found in the pollen of the plant. The root is extremely rich (dried contains up to 40 percent) inulin. Inulin is a starch substitute that turns into fruit sugar when the roots are roasted. The dried root contains up to 20 percent of sugars, up to 15 percent of proteins, a large number of macro- and microelements and many other substances beneficial to the body.

Dandelion, like no other plant, has everything from the flower bud to the roots that is edible. The early leaves are used to prepare salads, all kinds of seasonings for meat and fish dishes, and cook cabbage soup and soups. Flower buds are pickled and then added as seasonings to vinaigrettes, solyanka and game dishes. An amber-colored jam is made from the flowers themselves. Fried rosettes are a delicacy. Fruit sugar is obtained from the roots (it is twice as sweet as usual), and if the dried roots are fried and ground in a coffee grinder or crushed in camp conditions, you will get good coffee. The ground root can be added to flour. This is a large food reserve for expeditions, tourists and people who are often outdoors.

Unfortunately, all parts of the dandelion contain a bitter milky juice and need to be pre-processed before eating. To remove the bitterness from the leaves and flower buds, they are soaked in salted (3-5-1T) cold water for 30 minutes. Before frying, the root rosettes are boiled in a 5% saline solution for 5-10 minutes. Rosettes are usually collected in early spring, when the leaves are just beginning to emerge, and they are cut from the root 2-3 centimeters below the leaves. The bitterness in the roots is destroyed by roasting.

For medicinal purposes, the root and sometimes the leaves of dandelion are most often used as a bitterness to stimulate appetite, as a choleretic and diuretic, and as a mild laxative.

To prepare a decoction, pour 3 tablespoons of crushed roots into 2 cups of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes, strain and drink a glass twice a day, half an hour before meals.

The healing properties of dandelion were well known in ancient times. Theophrastus and Avicenna, for example, recommended dandelion juice to destroy freckles and icteric spots on the skin, to treat dropsy and remove eyesores.

In Russian folk medicine, dandelion is called the elixir of life. It is used in the treatment of skin diseases - rashes, acne, eczema and others. The juice of fresh roots is included in ointments; it is used to lubricate warts and calluses. Powders from dried dandelion roots have a beneficial effect on atherosclerosis - they help remove cholesterol from the body. Dandelion is used as an expectorant, soothing, and wound-healing agent.

By the way, it will probably be said here (and not only in relation to dandelion) that even the most well-known and tested folk remedy for the same ailment can be effective for some people, less or completely ineffective for others, and for others not at all. contraindicated. Therefore, being carried away by any plant and considering it the only salvation from any disease is a deep misconception.

Dandelion roots are harvested for medicinal purposes in September - October, when the leaves wilt. Dig up the plant, cut off the small roots and aerial parts, wash it with cold water, dry it in the air under a canopy for several days and then dry it in a dry, well-ventilated room or dryer at a temperature of 60-70 degrees.

When using dandelion for food, you must remember that in urban environments it is capable of absorbing and accumulating lead and other harmful substances from exhaust gases. It is best to collect the plant in meadows, forest clearings, and rivers, where there is an extremely large amount of it, and in these conditions it is more substantial in weight.

In many foreign countries, dandelion is cultivated in gardens, which is very convenient from an economic point of view - it can be collected at any time without much difficulty.

In our region, dandelions grow everywhere, but they are used extremely rarely for food or medicinal purposes. Although there is evidence, in some places sweet lovers make jam from dandelion flowers.

1.2 Yarrow (cut grass, bloodgrass, woodgrass, queenwort, whitecap )

This unpretentious plant from the Asteraceae family is found everywhere on dry forest edges, boundaries, along roads, paths, near fences, in courtyards and gardens. In spring, rather large lance-shaped leaves on high petioles grow from a perennial creeping rhizome with thin adventitious roots. They, like openwork lace, consist of many small, multiple pinnately cut narrow segments. Also, a straight stem, up to half a meter high, with small sessile leaves appears from the rhizome. At the top of the stem several branches grow, which are covered small flowers white or soft pink color. The flowers are very small, collected in small baskets, forming many scutes. Yarrow blooms from June to October, when it proudly rises above the long-drowned dry grass.

The leaves and flowers of yarrow contain essential oil - thanks to it the plant emits a specific tart but pleasant smell, resins, bitterness, a fairly large amount of vitamin K, vitamin C, tannins, glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids and other substances.

In folk medicine, yarrow has been known since the time of Dioscorides as a remedy that stops bleeding and heals wounds. In addition, infusions and decoctions of yarrow herb are drunk for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, kidney stones, dysentery, for pain and cramps in the stomach, internal bleeding, especially uterine and hemorrhoidal, for headaches and even for lack of milk in nursing mothers. Infusions and decoctions are used as an expectorant for colds, as a gargle for toothache and bad breath. In sets with other herbs, yarrow treats tuberculosis. Fresh plant juice with honey is very effective in treating the liver, gallstones and metabolic diseases. Compresses from the infusion of flowers and taking it orally help get rid of acne, boils and rashes on the skin of the face.

Successfully uses beneficial features yarrow and scientific medicine. Due to the presence of the alkaloid achillein and vitamin in the leaves and flowers. Yarrow is used as a hemostatic agent for local bleeding - nasal, dental, small wounds, pulmonary, uterine and hemorrhoidal bleeding. Proazulene, which is part of yarrow essential oil, has a beneficial effect in the treatment of inflammatory and allergic diseases. Yarrow preparations are used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - chronic colitis, gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenum. Treatment of gastritis with low acidity with infusions is especially effective. The infusion and decoction are taken as a bitter to stimulate appetite. They have astringent, diuretic, antimicrobial, insecticidal, sedative and anticonvulsant effects. Yarrow herb is included in stomach, appetizing and other preparations and teas.

Yarrow infusion is prepared as follows. A tablespoon of chopped herb is poured into a glass of water at room temperature, boiled for 15 minutes, left for at least 45 minutes, and filtered. The infusion can be stored in a cool place for no more than 3-4 days. Take a tablespoon 3-4 times a day after meals.

Collection for unstable stools with diarrhea: yarrow 30 grams, rose hips 50, St. John's wort 30, oak bark 30 grams, sugar syrup to taste, water 1 liter.

Yarrow essential oil has found use in the perfume industry in the manufacture of some lotions and creams to nourish the skin, and the flower tops are used in the alcoholic beverage and dairy industries.

In veterinary medicine, gastrointestinal diseases in young animals are treated with yarrow infusion; in plant growing, it is used as an insecticide to combat certain pests of cultivated plants.

For future use, the apical part with leaves and flowers of yarrow is harvested, plucked or cut with a sickle or scissors. Dry in bunches in the open air, protecting from direct sunlight. The healing properties of dried herbs last for at least two years. When brewing and infusions, it is crushed.

In our region, despite its wide distribution, yarrow is prepared in small quantities only by pharmacies. The reason for such neglect of the plant is most likely ignorance of its value.

Contraindications. Pregnancy. Long-term use and large doses cause dizziness and skin rashes.

2. Poisonous plants

2.1 Spotted or speckled hemlock - Conium maculatum (L.)

Umbelliferae - UMBELLIFERAE. A biennial glabrous herbaceous plant (90 to 200 cm high) forming a rosette of basal leaves in the first year, and a highly branched, grooved stem up to 2 m high in the second year. The stem is bare, with a bluish coating and dark red spots in the lower part, which is how the plant got its name. The leaves are bare, triple pinnate, with ovoid-oval pinnately dissected leaves on long petioles (carrot-like), reminiscent of parsley leaves, when rubbed, a pungent odor is felt, reminiscent of the smell of cat urine. The stem is in thin furrows, with a bluish tint, hollow inside, in the lower part with clearly visible dark red spots, not completely faceted, with a powdery coating. The flowers are small white flowers arranged in complex umbels with 10-15 main rays; the fruit is two-seeded. The fruit is a two-seeded plant, the fruits are small, grayish-green, ovoid-spherical, flattened laterally. Blooms from late June and throughout July. The seeds ripen in August-September.

The plant is very heat-loving, weedy, and finds optimal conditions in thickets of burdocks and on littered forest edges. It is one of the most poisonous plants, especially fruits and leaves.

Used to prepare drugs that reduce pain. Taken only as prescribed by a doctor.

The entire plant is poisonous. Contains toxic alkaloids coniine, conhydrin, pseudoconhydrin. Coniine has a nicotine-like effect, in small doses it causes muscle contraction and toxic paralysis. In ancient times it was used as a deadly poison.

Poisoning occurs when stems, mistakenly taken by children for angelica, from which whistles are made, enter the mouth, when eating dill-like seeds, when clogging beds with vegetable crops. Causes contact damage to the skin and mucous membranes, occurring as severe allergic reactions. There are known cases of poisoning of starving cattle. Poisoning occurs when horses eat 2-3 kg of fresh grass, cattle - 4-5 kg, ducks - 50-70 g. Not the most successful plant for prevention, official medicine does not recommend it, but folk medicine uses it.

The plant is official in many countries of the world, but the use of Hemlock for medicinal purposes is prohibited in Russia.

Chemical composition. The plant is very poisonous, all its parts and especially immature seeds are toxic. The active ingredients are represented by alkaloids, the most poisonous of which is coniine, which, like nicotine and curare, paralyzes the endings of motor nerves.

The most poisonous rhizome of the plant, especially in late autumn and early spring. Contains cycototoxin. Neurotoxic (cholinergic, convulsive) effect. The lethal dose is about 50 mg of plant per 1 kg of body weight.

Tannins are also found in the juice, essential and fatty oils in the fruits, flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol), vitamin C and carotene in the leaves.

People are poisoned by hemlock when mistakenly consuming its herbs and roots instead of parsley and carrots.

Spotted hemlock (Conium maculatum) is very similar in appearance to wild carrot (Daucus carota): both plants belong to the umbrella family and have a fleshy taproot. All parts of hemlock contain an alkaloid that paralyzes the respiratory muscles.

It was the juice of this plant, and not the hemlock (i.e., the milestone), as is usually believed, that Socrates was poisoned.

Signs of poisoning.

In mild cases of poisoning, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea appear.

Signs of poisoning: itching in the mouth, behind the sternum, in the epigastric region, partial numbness of the skin, dizziness, headache, visual and hearing disturbances. Pupil dilation. Pale face, drooling, vomiting. Shortness of breath with difficulty in exhaling, rapid heartbeat, irregular pulse. Twitching of individual muscle groups.

The poison is quickly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Initial symptoms of poisoning appear after 1.5 - 2 hours, sometimes after 20 - 30 minutes. Salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dilated pupils, tachycardia, clonic-tonic convulsions, respiratory depression. Loss of consciousness, collapse. Most often, poisoning develops in children, who usually eat rhizomes, mistaking them for carrots.

In severe cases, muscle weakness increases, turning into muscle paralysis (starting from the legs). Loss of consciousness. Death may occur due to respiratory arrest due to muscle paralysis chest(paralysis of the respiratory center). Immature green seeds contain the largest amount of the main principle - connin (up to 0.4%). (pronounced nicotine-like effect). Coniine, gamma-Conisein - lethal dose 0.15 g.

Nicotine is an alkaloid of tobacco. Lethal dose 0.05 g. Symptoms: itching in the mouth, behind the sternum, numbness of the skin, dizziness, headache, visual and hearing impairment, dilated pupils, salivation, repeated vomiting, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, irregular pulse, convulsions (during which increases blood pressure). Death occurs from respiratory arrest (paralysis of the respiratory center and respiratory muscles).

In case of hemlock poisoning, rinse the stomach with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate. Drink an aqueous suspension of activated carbon, a salty laxative, and Vaseline oil through a tube. The main focus is the fight against breathing disorders: inhalation of oxygen, apaleptics in normal doses. If breathing stops - artificial, for accelerated removal of poison - osmotic diuretics, furosemide.

Apply antidote treatment. Symptomatic therapy includes:
intramuscularly 25% solution of magnesium sulfate - 10 ml; for convulsions - diazepam 5 - 10 mg intravenously; artificial respiration; for cardiac arrhythmia - 10 ml of 10% solution of novocainamide intravenously.

Tardieu gave an excellent description of human poisoning with hemlock, which we reproduce here - “Approximately an hour after taking hemlock orally, some confusion of thinking, dizziness, darkening of consciousness and very sharp headaches appear. The poisoned subject staggers as if drunk, his legs give way. Sometimes, but by no means always, they feel a painful tightness in the pit of the stomach and severe stomach pain. The throat dries up, there is a burning thirst, and yet it becomes impossible to swallow. Sometimes there is slight vomiting, but without consequences. The face is very pale, its features are greatly distorted, but consciousness remains full. Patients retain their hearing, although they are unable to speak; their gaze is motionless, their pupils are dilated, their vision is unclear and sometimes they see nothing. Convulsive movements, titanic twitching in the limbs alternate with fainting, with loss of strength, which are repeated at certain intervals; then a kind of numbness takes possession of the patient and only wheezing breathing reveals the presence of life. The body cools down, the head swells and the swelling sometimes spreads to other parts of the body; the eyes protrude forward, and the skin becomes purplish-bluish in color. In some cases, violent delirium and epileptic convulsions are detected. Death always comes very quickly; in no more than three, four or six hours, hemlock poisoning ends fatally. No specific antidote is known for it.”

Hemlock grass in small doses is used in folk medicine as an analgesic, anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of rheumatism and gout, as well as tumors. The essence of the fresh herb hemlock spotted is used in the form of simple dilutions and is part of many complex preparations, including injection ones.

Flower tincture is used in small doses in folk medicine as an “anti-cancer agent.” In ancient Russian folk medicine and in England, hemlock was considered an anticancer agent. Due to its toxicity, this plant can be used as an insecticide.

It is necessary to exercise extreme caution when encountering hemlock: do not use it for self-medication, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling it.

2.2 Hellebore VERATRUM

The Liliaceae family. The genus includes 25 species, distributed in Europe, Asia and North America. Rhizomatous perennials with tall, straight, leafy stems, often bulbous at the base. The leaves are broadly oval, stem-embracing, the lower ones are broadly elliptic, the upper ones are linear-lanceolate.
The flowers are whitish, reddish or greenish, collected in paniculate, less often racemose inflorescences. The fruit is a three-lobed capsule. The seeds are numerous, flat, winged. All parts of the plant are poisonous and do not lose their properties even when dried and ensiled.

Lobel's hellebore (common) - Veratrum lobelianum Bernh.

Liliaceae family Liliaceae. A powerful plant up to 1.5 m tall with a short vertical rhizome and numerous adventitious cord-like roots. The leaf arrangement is regular. The leaves are oval and lanceolate, pointed, folded, with long sheaths. The inflorescence is paniculate. Flowers on short stalks. The perianth is yellowish-green, 2.5 cm in diameter, with elliptical rounded leaflets. The fruits are 3-part capsules up to the middle. Blooms in mid-summer. The inflorescence in the bud is formed in the fall. Mass flowering repeats after 2-3 years. First flowering in 10-30 years. Life expectancy is usually at least 50 years. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Found in forest belts, forest-steppe and steppe zones the European part (except for the Baltic states), Siberia, the Amur region, as well as in the Caucasus and Tien Shan in the upper forest and subalpine zones. It can dominate in meadow communities on sufficiently rich and well-moistened soils. It grows in pastures because it is not eaten by livestock.

Rhizomes with roots contain alkaloids (the alkaloid veratrine, its lethal dose: about 0.02 g) in the roots - up to 2.4%, in the rhizomes - up to 1.3%, as well as the glycoalkaloid pseudoyervin, glycosides, resins, tannins .

Powder from the rhizomes or decoction is used as an insecticide, emetic and for wound healing. In folk medicine it is used for skin diseases. Poisonous. Poisoning of farm animals is possible (although in the Altai highlands horses, deer and sika deer eat hellebore), it is poisonous to bees.

Similar species can be used as insecticides: white hellebore, growing in the Carpathians, hellebore ostrodolnaya, Dahurian and chameleon - from Eastern Siberia and the Far East. They differ somewhat from Lobel's hellebore in the pubescence of the leaves, the shape of the inflorescence and the perianth lobes. Only black hellebore, which is almost as widespread as Lobel's hellebore, and Maak's hellebore, which grows in the Far East, have a dark purple perianth. An infusion of black hellebore rhizomes heals abrasions and wounds well.

Black hellebore - Veratrum nigrum L

It grows wild in the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Far East, Central Europe, China, and Japan. Perennial plant up to 130 cm tall. The stems are dense, thick, leafy. The leaves are large, corrugated, oval-lanceolate, glabrous, up to 40 cm long, 7-8 in number. The flowers are numerous, blackish-red, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, collected in paniculate inflorescences. Blooms in July. Bears fruit. The most decorative look.

White hellebore - Veratrum album L

It grows wildly in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus. A perennial plant with a densely pubescent stem up to 150 cm tall. The flowers are greenish outside and whitish inside, up to 1.5 cm in diameter. Blooms in June. Fruits in August. In culture since 1529.

California hellebore - Veratrum califomicum Durand

Homeland - North America. Perennial plant with straight stems up to 120 cm tall. The flowers are white with greenish veins. Blooms in June-July. Bears fruit.

Cheremitsa green

Green hellebore (Veratrum viride) contains highly active alkaloids. A closely related species, California hellebore (Veratrum californicum), which grows on mountain pastures, causes fetal malformations in sheep that ate this grass on the 14th day of pregnancy. The period of sensitivity of the embryo to the poison of this plant is only about 6 hours. It acts like the infamous drug thalidomide, which - before it was banned - managed to lead to the birth of many babies with congenital deformities.

Signs of poisoning.

Hellebore is one of the plants that has a toxic effect on the heart. Their berries, flowers, stems and leaves are poisonous. Poisoning with them is manifested by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headache and pain in the epigastric region. In severe cases, the rhythm and frequency of heart contractions are disturbed, and the pulse, as a rule, becomes rare. Sometimes the nervous system is also affected. This is evidenced by agitation, visual disturbances, convulsions, and loss of consciousness.

Symptoms.

Often the only sign of poisoning is dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, loose stool) and a sharp slowdown in heart rate with a drop in blood pressure. (stimulation of the vagus nerve).

Hellebore alkaloids (protoveratrine, nervin, etc.) first excite and then paralyze the central nervous system: severe general agitation, vomiting, diarrhea appear, and death is possible.

Specific treatment - 0.1% atropine solution up to 2 ml subcutaneously, cardiovascular drugs.

Application.

Dosage forms in the form of tinctures, ointments, hellebore water (Aqua Veratri) are used for rheumatism; in veterinary medicine - against scabies, skin gadfly, lice, lice.

Ointments and alcohol tincture of the rhizome are popularly used externally for rubbing into the skin as an irritant for neuralgia, myositis, to reduce pain of rheumatic origin, for dandruff and for hair growth. Extracts are used as an anti-scabies and anti-pediculosis agent.

Usage. As an ornamental deciduous plant for planting in groups and singly, near ponds and shrubs.

According to the newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine” dated September 9, 2003. 12 lyceum students from the city of Ostrog (Volyn) were hospitalized in a local hospital with symptoms of food poisoning. As a KP correspondent found out, ninth-graders tried the seeds of hellebore growing in the surrounding meadows for the “effect” (9 species of hellebore grow in Ukraine). Three of them, who not only chewed the seeds, but also swallowed them, ended up in intensive care; it’s good that there is no threat to their lives during or now. The rest got off relatively lightly and were able to describe the symptoms to the correspondent: dry mouth, very thirsty, nausea, vomiting, then white spots flashed in their eyes and loss of consciousness.
It should be remembered that not only the seeds, but all parts of the plant are poisonous.
Animals do not eat this plant at all.

Conclusion

The plant world is still far from being studied. Nature still has a lot of mysteries and secrets, and she reveals them reluctantly. For example, when many carnivores bite poisonous snakes or another serious illness, they eat the leaves of cereal plants and are cured. This means that in these plants nature has laid down something that only some animals “know” about and that humans still have to learn about in order to possibly use it to their advantage.

How can we explain the fact that among the cereal plants there is not a single poisonous one? It remains a mystery why, for example, of two plants growing side by side in the same place, one takes only useful material, and the other accumulates so much poison that even touching it threatens trouble, and if you happen to eat several fruits of this plant, death is inevitable. Such poisonous plants in our forests include wolf's bast and raven's eye, there are others that are no less poisonous. Why did they need such super-powerful protection? To preserve your species? Or maybe this is some other secret of nature?

Useful wild plants sometimes it is difficult to divide into edible or medicinal. Often they are both. Depending on the plant itself and its purpose, different parts are used: roots, leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, seeds and pollen. Some plants have a noticeable therapeutic effect and, even in large doses, are completely harmless to the body. But there are also plants that, if used ineptly and immoderately, can cause the most severe changes in the body. Therefore, any use of little-known plants for treatment is permissible only after consulting a doctor.

Literature

1. Folk recipes health. V.V. Chekmareva. - Rostov n/a. JSC "Book" 1997. -480 p.

2. Zamyatina N. Medicinal plants. - M.: New disk, 2006. - 496 p.
3. Chumakov F.I. Forest basket. - Arkhangelsk: North-West. book publishing house, 1992. - 238 p.

4. Yakovlev G.P., Blinova K.F. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medicinal Plants and Products of Living Origin, St. Petersburg, “Special Literature”, 1999. -407 p.

Poisonous and medicinal plants can be collected. Poisonous plants. In the photo there is a raven's eye

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