Fatal wolfberry or wolf bast is a perennial, low-branched, low shrub with twisted leaves and bright red ovoid fruits. The wolfberry reaches a height of no more than 1.5 m. In spring, when everything comes to life from a cold and snowy winter, bright pink flowers with a pleasant aroma bloom on the branches of the bush. The trunk and branches are yellow or light brown in color. Wolf bast blooms (photo below) from April to May, and bears fruit from July to August. The plant is melliferous, but it should be remembered that all parts of the wolf bast are poisonous, especially fruits that contain burning juice.
Many names of shrubs are of Latin origin. Our species was no exception. Daphne poisonous in the people are also called wolf berries, bad man, wolfberry, pine forest pepper, wolf pepper, daphne, etc. In medicine, it is used under the name of daphne bark. Daphne grows in floodplain forests and forest glades in dimly lit places. It can also often be found on the banks of a stream. This shrub, like all subspecies of the Volchnikov family, is taken under protection.
Despite the toxic properties, the wolf's bast, or rather the fruits and bark of the bush, and sometimes leaves and branches are used in medicine. The bark must be harvested in the spring, always before the flowering shrubs, and the fruits in July-August. But you should not abuse the wolf berries, because they do not lose their toxic properties even after drying and processing.
Daphne and its healing qualities
Since ancient times, wolf bast was used in folk medicine as a powerful laxative, but over time, experienced specialists began to warn people to use the fruits inside and for external purposes, because the plant can cause severe intoxication in the body and lead to abscesses on the skin. Daphne can only be used under strict medical supervision in the required dosages. The berries of the bush contain substances such as glucide daphnin, flavonoids, various resins, diphnetoxin and sitosterol.
Doctors prescribe drugs with substances of wolfberries for cancer, in the treatment of leukemia. Shrub bark is effective in treating uterine cancer, breast tumors, cancer of the larynx, esophagus, and also the oral cavity. Ripe fruits are used in the treatment of sarcoma. In addition to these healing qualities, a wolf's bast helps in the fight against cough, pulmonary tuberculosis, treats hepatitis, thrombophlebitis, relieves fatigue and improves appetite.
Contraindications and side effects
Shrubs can be very dangerous for adults and children. A dozen or more berries eaten can cause death. If berry juice accidentally gets on the skin, this can lead to tissue death (necrosis). After eating berries, severe irritation occurs in the stomach, intestines and kidneys. The main symptoms of poisoning are fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes. If signs of poisoning appear, you need to wash the stomach as soon as possible and consult a doctor. In the hospital, the victim will be prescribed the necessary treatment for the throat and oral cavity.