Hemlock: medicinal properties and contraindications

Many centuries ago, Paracelsus said that “everything is poison, everything is medicine”, adding that the effect is dose-dependent. This fully applies to the hemlock. It is also called dog angelica, puzzle, omega, poison stem or wild parsley. It exudes an almost imperceptible smell, from which the head begins to hurt. The person next to the plant becomes uncomfortable. People who know about this feature try to quickly leave the clearing with the plant in the forest, and decisively get rid of it in the summer cottage. He also has valuable medicinal properties that are well known and used in folk recipes, but the dosage and method of preparation must be strictly observed.

How it looks and where it grows

The hemlock is so unpretentious that it grows on almost any soil, without fear of the eternal partial shade of the forest and glades open to the hot sun. By its appearance, it is easy to determine how rich the soil is with useful substances. In a well-humus-rich area, the plant takes the form of a luxurious bush with spectacular cirrus leaves, in poor places its size is much more modest.

The plant is two-year-old; in the first year, a spindle-shaped root and a root rosette with lush growth of leaves develops. At this stage, it looks like parsley. This is dangerous precisely because of its external likeness; it does not have any smell or bitterness in taste, therefore poisoning of people and livestock is possible. The difference is only a very light shade of smell, similar to a mouse, if you rub the leaves in your fingers.

In the second year, the stem begins to grow. In a favorable environment, its height reaches 180-200 cm, inside it is hollow, with longitudinal grooves. Leaves on it are rarely, in pairs, decreasing in size from root to crown. Inflorescences are formed in the form of multi-component umbrellas, the flowers are small, white, bloom from June to early August. In September, seeds are formed. They are very small, similar to dill, the weight of approximately 1 thousand pieces is 1.4 g.

Hemlock is found in Europe, Turkey, China, Morocco, Ethiopia, North Africa. In Russia, distributed everywhere, to the regions of the Far North. He is not afraid of frost, drought, grows along the banks of rivers, lakes, along roads, in landfills and near human housing.

Collection and storage

The plant is gaining strength during flowering. Collection begins in June. Finding hemlocks is not difficult, but certain rules must be taken into account when preparing it.

1. The ground part should not be touched with bare hands, it is necessary to stock up with rubber gloves. If you plan to collect a large batch, it is better to take a gauze bandage with you to protect your respiratory system.
2. Putting the cut parts together with other plants is not allowed. For wild parsley, a separate bag or container is allocated. It must be remembered that the juice of already plucked grass continues to retain a share of toxicity.
3. It is strictly forbidden to taste the raw materials; you can get severe food poisoning.
4. Grass is not collected near roads, industrial enterprises, landfills.

The healing properties are concentrated in the stem, leaves and flowers, the root is almost never used in folk medicine. Cut off the upper part of the plant, about 2/3 of its height. Separately, juicy leaves are collected from a basal rosette.

It should be remembered: plants affected by pests, having signs of the disease, are unsuitable for the preparation of medicines.

Raw materials are dried and stored separately from the rest of the workpieces. The fabric or shields on which the stems, leaves and inflorescences were laid out to dry are destroyed.Their reuse is not allowed in order to avoid juice poisoning.

Chemical composition

The plant is poisonous, in ancient Greece it was used as a method of execution, cases of accidental poisoning during the collection of raw materials were recorded. 3-5 kg ​​of grass is deadly for domestic animals; 50–70 g of fresh leaves or flowers are enough for a bird. The action of the poison begins with partial paralysis of the muscles and ends with respiratory arrest. With timely measures, toxins are removed from the body. For this injured person or animal, they are soldered with fresh milk, a solution of Regidron, using gastric lavage, followed by treatment.

The aboveground part contains:

• alkaloids;
• quercetin;
• glycerides of petrozelidic and petrozelinic acid;
• kempferol.

The highest concentration of alkaloids was detected in the seeds, much less than in the leaves. In this case, the maximum amount is produced at the very beginning of flowering. After the formation of fruits, the percentage ratio changes. Despite the toxic component, hemlock is considered a valuable medicinal plant.

Important: uncontrolled self-medication with herbal preparations, which include a dog angelica, is unacceptable.

The healing properties of the hemlock herb

Despite the external attractiveness and accessibility of this plant, it must be handled very carefully. Those who are able to comply with all requirements for its collection and storage, a wide range of useful properties.

Preparations, decoctions and infusions based on it strengthen the immune system, have anticonvulsant, antiseptic, sedative effects. It is recommended as part of complex therapy in the postoperative period to accelerate the regeneration processes. The antitumor effect of the herb is very valuable. Means based on it can significantly slow down the growth and spread of cancer cells in any part of the body.

With tuberculosis, positive dynamics are observed due to the antispasmodic effect, which relieves intense cough and facilitates the discharge of sputum. During attacks of rheumatism and gout, the use of hemlock-based products relieves inflammation and pain. Effectively the use of decoctions and alcohol infusions in patients with metabolic disorders, with hemorrhoids, low blood pressure, thrombophlebitis, skin diseases, arthrosis, osteochondrosis.

For each disease, there is a clear dosage regimen and a specific dosage. Violating the recommendations, you can easily turn the medicine into poison. As a medicine, water and alcohol tinctures, oil, tea, decoction are used. Dried herbs, ready-made tincture based on medical alcohol, oil are sold in pharmacies. Hemlock is part of the multicomponent homeopathic medicine Konium, prescribed for the treatment of enlarged lymph nodes, seizures, bronchial asthma. The dosages are microscopic, therefore the product is safe, but has a pronounced therapeutic effect.

Interesting: until the beginning of the 20th century, the plant was included in the official lists of the Pharmacopoeia, but then it was banned for use in official medicine because of the high toxicity.

Types of healing compounds

For a specific disease, the optimal dosage form is selected, so several options are made. Fresh leaves are used to relieve joint pain. They are ground and applied to the problem area 3-4 times a day, keeping no more than 1 hour. In other cases, preliminary preparation of raw materials is required.

Infusion

It is preparing very fast. A teaspoon of freshly chopped leaves is brewed with a glass of boiling water in a thermos and insisted for 6 hours.Shelf life in the refrigerator does not exceed 5 days.

Tincture

It is most often used for treatment, since it has several advantages:

• stored for a long time;
• during the preparation process, almost the entire complex of useful substances goes into alcohol;
• it is convenient to dose for use;
• has a large list of readings.

You can purchase tincture at the pharmacy or prepare it yourself. For this, 30 g of dry grass will need a little less than 0.5 liters of vodka. Raw materials are placed in a half-liter jar, which fills the container by 1/3. Then pour liquid to the start of the neck. The jar is corked so that alcohol vapors do not disappear, and cleaned for 2 weeks in a dark, cool place. The finished product is filtered, poured into a clean dish and stored in the refrigerator.

Tishchenko tincture
The cooking recipe is very similar to the previous one with the exception of 2 points: only inflorescences are taken for cooking and the jar is filled with raw materials almost to the top. It is used to treat cancer of the esophagus, uterus, ovaries, mammary glands, and stomach. Use according to a scheme involving a gradual increase in the drug.

Dosage is indicated in drops, admission is 1 hour before lunch. The course of treatment is very long, involves several approaches that alternate with interruptions.

Powder

Receive from carefully crushed dry raw materials. Applied externally to remove nasal polyps.

Swabs

The fabric base is impregnated with therapeutic infusion. It includes dried chamomile, sage, calendula in equal parts. They have anti-inflammatory, absorbable, antibacterial effects. To prepare a teaspoon of the mixture, pour a glass of boiling water and insist under a towel or terry cloth for 30 minutes. Then the tampon is moistened in the obtained liquid, and 2-3 drops of water tincture from the hemlock are added on top. Immediately injected into the vagina at night. Used as part of complex therapy for endometriosis, cancer of the uterus and appendages, myoma, polyps.

Butter

Dry leaves and inflorescences are packed tightly in a jar, filling it 2/3. Raw materials are poured with linseed or olive oil and cleaned for 2 weeks in a dark room. For use, it is filtered 2 times through several layers of gauze.

Oil-based ointment

It is prepared in 2 divided doses. 10 g of dry chopped herbs insist in 100 ml of vegetable oil for 14 days. After she is ready, proceed to the second part. To do this, measure out another 100 ml of olive oil and slowly heat to a hot state. Maintaining a constant temperature, wax is added in small pieces into it, watching its complete dissolution. The criterion for the readiness of the mixture will be the change of its color to white. After that, the workpiece is removed from the fire and gradually cooled at room temperature to 45–48 degrees.

The final stage of preparation is combining with herbal infusion and mixing until smooth. The product is stored in the refrigerator. As necessary, a small cake is formed from the mass and applied to the sore spot. The tool is effective for the treatment of skin cancer, erysipelas, tumors, hemorrhoids, cuts.

Hemlock enzyme

The product is prepared with the addition of serum. When interacting with a lactic acid environment, part of the toxins in the grass are neutralized, leaving a painkiller effect. For cooking you will need:

• serum - 3 l;
• dry leaves and inflorescences of wild parsley - 0.5 cups;
• sour cream - 1 tablespoon;
• sugar - 200 g.

All ingredients are mixed in a glass container and left to ferment for 14 days. The drug is taken during the day 125 ml 15 minutes before meals.

The use of hemlock in traditional medicine

Despite the withdrawal of plants from official lists, it continues to be successfully used in single-component and multicomponent collections. It has shown high effectiveness in a number of serious diseases, including oncology. Subject to the multiplicity of receptions, formulations and dosages, the benefit from it significantly exceeds the possible harm.

There are cardinal and gentle treatment methods. The first is the intensive intake of a few drops of the drug in equal approaches throughout the day.Thus, a kind of shock therapy is carried out for the body, which awakens the deep reserves and directs them to fight the disease.

Attention: with this method of treatment, a close person must be nearby, who can give an antidote in the form of a glass of milk with the addition of potassium permanganate.

The second option is based on the principle of similarity and is used for long-term therapy in cancer patients. Treatment begins with 1-2 drops, the dosage gradually increases over several weeks. The body perceives alkaloids as a foreign element and begins to destroy along with cancer cells. Official confirmation of the method does not yet exist, but the effectiveness has been proved by decades of successful application of the method in traditional medicine.

Methodology Tishchenko

For treatment, only young hemlock shoots are used that do not give side effects in the form of irritation or suppression of emotional reactions. They have an analgesic effect, while guaranteeing a shake to a weakened body, prompting it to resist. Exactly adhered to the interval of taking the drug at 4 hours.

There are several methods that are designed for different degrees of body resistance. The Tsar’s Methodology is very interesting and effective. The idea is to gradually increase the dosage from 1 drop to 40 per day, and then gradually return to the original amount. This allows the body to adapt to the presence of poison and suppress the development of the tumor with relative safety for other systems.

Hemlock in gynecology

The most effective methods of application are tampons and douching. For procedures, oil and alcohol tincture are recommended. In its pure form, they are not used, but must be diluted with oil or water, depending on the type of product.

Side effects

Before starting treatment, it is very important to undergo an examination and fix your state of health, since the main criterion for an overdose of a drug becomes a change in well-being. The following symptoms are considered to be alarming:

• blurred vision;
• burning in the tongue and throat;
• uncontrolled salivation;
• asthma attacks;
• dizziness, growing pain in the temples and neck;
• nausea and vomiting;
• loss of strength, the onset of apathy.

The simultaneous appearance of 3 or more signs signals the maximum dosage of a hemlock and the onset of poisoning. Tishchenko, who created the cycling technique, believes that the maximum dose is 40 drops of tincture per day. But the individual characteristics of the body and the reaction to alkaloids are different for everyone, which makes certain adjustments to the treatment regimen. For some 25 drops it already becomes an unbearable burden, after which you will have to take an antidote and temporarily stop the course, resuming it after a few days from a much smaller number of drops of tincture.

With a sharp deterioration in the condition, postponing an ambulance call is dangerous for the patient's life. The main signs are numbness, rising from the legs up, respiratory depression, pallor of the skin, and a change in pupil size. It is necessary to indicate the cause of the call, since poisoning quickly affects the respiratory system, forced ventilation of the lungs and the introduction of a specific antidote may be necessary.

Contraindications

A complete ban on hemlock treatment is imposed during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and individual intolerance. With caution, any drug based on dog angelica is administered with renal failure, epilepsy, exhaustion, and liver diseases. Children's age and surgical intervention are also considered contraindications.

With strict adherence to the prescription and dosage, careful monitoring of well-being and monitoring of the state of the blood, serious consequences can be avoided, receiving only benefit from treatment. Hemlock-based products often cope with the task in cases where official medicine sadly shrugs, transferring patients to the category of chronic or incurable.

Interesting Facts

1. A spotted plant was named for the spots on the stem, appearing in an adult specimen in the second year of life.
2. The peak of toxicity of canine angelica juice occurs before flowering, and from the moment of seed formation, the bulk of the alkaloids move into them.
3. Young plants have a milder effect on the body, less often causing poisoning.
4. Hemlock is so unpretentious that it grows even at the railway track and in landfills, without experiencing any particular inconvenience.
5. In ancient times, hemlock was used for public executions.
6. The antidote to the alkalioid koniin, paralyzing the muscles of the respiratory system, is milk with the addition of potassium permanganate.
7. Treatment with alcohol tincture slows the growth of cancer cells and has an analgesic effect.
8. Wild parsley growing in Scotland has almost lost its poisonous properties; in Armenian national cuisine it is used to prepare some dishes.
9. Any part of the plant produces an unpleasant odor that resembles a mouse.
10. Outwardly, the young shoot of a hemlock is similar to parsley leaves.

Subject to safety measures, hemlock becomes an amazing drug in its effectiveness.

Photo hemlock