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The hemlock is a poisonous plant. It is one of the most dangerous plants known to man in this respect. Its properties have been widely known for thousands of years. Already in antiquity, they were used to carry out death sentences, and even served suicides. Other names for hemlock include rage poisonous, blistering, water gosh, water lice, madness or parsley.
Cykuta can be found on the banks of rivers, peat bogs and wherever the area is wet. The plant chooses such sites because it needs water for reproduction. During the flowering period, hemlock resembles the so-called dandelions. However, when we look at this poisonous plant closely, we will see that the flowers are collected in the so-called umbels.
Cykuta – occurrence
The hemlock can be found in wetlands such as peat bogs and the shores of bodies of water. Water is necessary for her to multiply. The hemlock seeds are dispersed by the water.
The plant blooms from June to August, and hemlock seeds ripen from August to September.
Chestnut – poison
The hemlock is an extremely poisonous plant. Contact with any of its elements can lead to poisoning, but the rhizomes and stems are the most dangerous. It is in them that the most poisonous polyunsaturated alcohol, i.e. cycutotoxin, is found.
The hemlock contains the so-called spasmodic venom. It acts on the elongated core. There are gathered all the nerve centers that regulate our reflex functions, i.e. everything that our body does without our will. Therefore, we are talking about vital functions such as breathing, movement and blood circulation.
When the toxin enters the human body, it causes convulsions and, depending on the dose taken, paralysis of the vagus nerve.
Chestnut – symptoms of poisoning
The toxins in the mice are very strong. A very small amount of a freshly picked plant is enough to lead to severe poisoning. The hemlock causes the cerebral cortex to react similarly to alcohol intoxication.
Symptoms of hemlock poisoning appear after just 20 minutes. At first, the poisoned person feels a burning sensation in the mouth and drooling occurs. Shortly thereafter, uncontrolled muscle spasms, nausea, and over time, vomiting, diarrhea and numbness follow.
The poisoned person has dilated pupils and foam is rolling from his mouth.
Finally, seizures occur. At first it is just grinding the teeth, but after some time the respiratory system is paralyzed. The patient loses the ability to breathe and, as a result, dies, most often in a state of full consciousness.
Chestnut – causes of poisoning
Hemlock poisoning is most often the result of a mistake. It is worth knowing that hemlock is a celery plant, and its root has a sweet taste and can be confused with the root of celery, parsnips or even wild carrots. The smell of hemlock tuber almost resembles the smell of parsley.
Among people poisoned with hemlock, you can find literally every person who collects and chews fragments of a plant, and even uses it to decorate a pond or puts hemlock flowers in a vase on the table.
It is worth knowing that the toxins contained in the mice can penetrate our body through small wounds on our skin. So it’s best not to pick this plant with your bare hands.
See the gallery: Poisonous plants in field meadows