This extremely poisonous plant has many names: cicuta, vyaha, cat parsley, carrot, omega, rabid water, water hemlock, dog angelica, mutnik, gorigolov and pork louse.
This article will introduce a plant better known as citicut. Photos, descriptions, toxic properties, places of growth - you will read about all of this here.
There have been cases that people who do not know about the poisonous properties of this plant were poisoned by it. By mistake, this plant can be mistaken for edible wild plants that can have roots. You should stay away from him. The cicuta can be confused with angelica.
Only 200 grams of rhizome rhizome is enough to poison a cow to death, and between 50 and 100 grams of this plant can kill a sheep.
According to one legend, Socrates was poisoned with the poison of this particular plant. But at present it is believed that the more likely version is the death of the philosopher after taking a drink based on a spotted hemlock.
Milestone Poison: General Description
Poisonous milestone - a very dangerous poisonous plant.
Cicuta smells like celery or carrots (and the smell is misleading), and has a thick root. It usually blooms in July-August.
The poisonous milestone is easy to distinguish from similar plants by its thick rhizome. Its root is divided into separate chambers by partitions. It is quite easily pulled out of the ground. The root, which is the most poisonous part of the plant, tastes sweetish. It reminds a radish or rutabaga. The highest concentration of poison in the cycut is observed in the spring.
Botanical Description
Tsikuta (photo below) is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1-1.2 meters in height with a characteristic vertical fleshy white rhizome for it with numerous thin roots. A longitudinal section in the rhizome reveals a series of transverse cavities filled with a yellowish liquid. The latter is a hallmark of a milestone.
The smooth and branched stalk is hollow inside.
The sharp-toothed upper large leaves are twice, and the lower ones are three-fold pinnate and dissected, with pointed leaves.
White small flowers are collected in double (complex) umbrellas with about 10-15 rays. An important difference between it and the spotted hemlock is the absence of wrappers, but they are available with 8-12 leaflets in each umbrella.
Cicuta is a plant with small fruits. They consist of 2 hemispherical brown achenes. Each of them on the outside has 5 longitudinal wide ribs, and their inner sides are facing each other. They have a lighter color, with a dark wide strip in the middle. Propagation of the plant occurs by seed.
Distribution, places of growth
Cicuta is a plant that loves wet wetlands. It can be located directly in the pond (near the shore), and is found in swamps. In dry meadows, the milestone is not poisonous.
The geographical distribution range is wide: Eastern Europe, the northern parts of Asia, Western Europe and North America. In Russia, it is distributed almost everywhere.
This plant develops faster in spring than others, therefore it stands out for its size against the general background, attracting large-horned animals.
The chemical composition of the plant, application
Cicuta is a plant that contains the following substances: cyclototoxin (the most poisonous beginning in the root resin), which can paralyze breathing; cicutin; essential oils, etc.
All parts of the plant are very dangerous, but its rhizome is especially poisonous.
In Russia, in folk medicine, rhizomes and roots of cycloids were used in the form of ointments and tinctures externally. They were used for rheumatism, skin diseases, gout. Also, the plant was important in homeopathy.
Seeds and root cyclutes contain cyclic oil, or cyclutol. Cicutoxin and other toxic substances of the plant are not destroyed either under the influence of high temperatures, or during prolonged storage. Even dried cicuta contains dangerous poison.
The plant is used now in medicine. From the leaves, stems, roots and flowers of the milestone, fairly effective drugs are made that are used in the treatment of various diseases. In small doses, substances from rhizomes and roots act soothingly, inhibiting the nervous system and motor activity. They lower blood pressure and have a diuretic effect.
Symptoms of Poisoning
Cicuta is a terrible plant. Just a couple of minutes after the poison enters the body, nausea, vomiting and colic appear in the stomach, followed by dizziness, gait becomes insecure and even foam appears from the mouth. In this case, the pupils dilate, convulsions and epileptiform seizures occur, which can result in paralysis and death.
To prevent the worst, the victim needs to quickly and correctly provide first aid.
In conclusion, on poisoning
The most important thing is the prompt washing of the victim’s stomach with a solution of activated carbon and tannin.
Then it should be urgently transported to a medical institution, where they should conduct infusion therapy, hemosorption (blood purification). It is worth noting that therapeutic measures are difficult due to the fact that the victim's teeth are greatly compressed.
Everyone should definitely remember that tsikuta is a very dangerous plant! And in order to avoid poisoning, you must always remember the following:
- Do not eat the roots and leaves of suspicious inedible plants.
- Wash hands after contact with suspicious flora.
- If there is no knowledge and experience, stay away from plants of the Umbrella family.
Be sure to remember that it is not recommended to use drugs from the milestone poison on your own, without sufficient knowledge and experience!