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Nightshade: useful and dangerous properties. Video
Like many folk remedies, nightshade can show its medicinal or toxic properties, depending on the dosage. Since they are wild-growing berries, they often attract townspeople who have chosen to go for a walk in the forest with their bright color. Therefore, it is important to know not only about its useful and dangerous properties, but also how to provide first aid in case of poisoning.
This is a slightly curling shrub, common throughout the European part of Russia (except for the Far North), the Lower Volga and Trans-Volga regions, as well as in the Caucasus, south of Eastern and Western Siberia. It can be found in damp wetlands, along the banks of water bodies, among willows and at the edges of the forest.
From below, the nightshade shrub lignifies, and from above it remains herbaceous, the leaves at the base are ovoid or heart-shaped, and are pointed at the ends. The nightshade blooms all summer, by the end of August – in September berries appear. In their composition, they contain saponins, tannins, steroidalcoloids and glycosidic bitterness, these active substances determine their properties. Distinguish between red and black nightshade.
Do not eat berries unknown to you in the forest and make sure that your child does not do this.
Properties of red nightshade
The fruits of this variety of nightshade have a characteristic bright red color, which is especially common in Siberia, Mongolia and the Himalayas. The beneficial active substances that this plant contains are similar in their pharmacological action to ascorbic acid and carbohydrates. Young herbaceous shoots, leaves and stems of red nightshade were used in folk medicine to treat rheumatism, skin diseases, respiratory diseases and normalize metabolism. Decoctions of berries were used to treat epileptic seizures and headaches.
In folk medicine in Bulgaria and Germany, red nightshade was used mainly for the treatment of skin diseases such as chronic eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, and skin rashes. In these countries, it was used for otitis media, colds, neuralgia, cystitis, irregular menstruation and bronchial asthma.
Black nightshade is mainly widespread in Siberia and the Far East; it got its name from the color of the fruit, which has a burning-sour taste. Its berries also contain tannins, glycoalkoloids and sugars, as well as carotenoids. They were brewed and drunk as a decoction to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure to treat hypertension. Infusions and decoctions of black nightshade have an effect on the nervous system – first exciting, and after a while – depressing. Popularly boiled black nightshade berries were crushed into gruel and applied to the temples in the form of poultices and compresses for headaches.
The infusion of stems and leaves was used as a mild laxative and aseptic agent, it was relieved of worms, used as a sedative and analgesic. From dried nightshade flowers, infusions were prepared that have a diuretic and expectorant effect. Its berries were eaten raw to improve visual acuity. In European countries, it has long been used for spastic constipation, bladder spasms, nervous and epileptic seizures, nervous system disorders and headaches.
Nightshade berries are considered edible and healthy only in small quantities; with prolonged use, they can cause not only stomach upset and overexcitement, but also cause poisoning. The leaves, stems and fruits of the nightshade are poisonous, but in the black nightshade, as it ripens, along with the poisonous glycoalkoloid solanine, the poisonous properties also disappear. Its ripe berries can already cause only mild harm in the form of diarrhea. But the bittersweet red nightshade remains poisonous even after the berries ripen, since it also contains other dangerous substances: solidulcin and dulcamarine.
In case of nightshade poisoning, symptoms typical of this type of glycoalkoloid poisoning are observed: high fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing, cardiovascular failure, decreased motor and mental activity.
First aid for nightshade poisoning
It is necessary to immediately induce vomiting; the victim can do this on his own by acting with his fingers on the base of the larynx. Before that, you can give him boiled water so that he drinks at least 1,5-2 liters, vomiting will help to quickly and effectively cleanse the stomach, while the main effect of toxic substances has not yet begun. Activated carbon, table salt or potassium permanganate can be added to the water.
When the first symptoms appear, you must immediately call an ambulance and, without waiting for a doctor, provide medical assistance to the victim
Help to stabilize the patient’s condition and drugs: activated charcoal, tannin, any laxatives. It is imperative to stimulate the work of the cardiovascular system. If convulsions occur, chloral hydrate should be given. In the event that there is no first-aid kit at hand, use folk remedies – black crackers with strong black tea, milk or starch solution. If possible, you need to do a cleansing enema and put the patient under a warm blanket before the doctor arrives.