Hemlock. Two-year glabrous, herbaceous plant with thick white spindly roots and erect stem bluish up to 200 cm, which is covered with purple spots. In the first year of life, above-ground part has only bunch of basal leaves. In the second year grows tall naked stem. The leaves are large (Z0-60 cm), glabrous, triangular, with long segments. Hemlock can be easily discerned by the unpleasant (a mouse) the smell of the leaves. Plant spread throughout the European part of Russia, just an opportunity to clean the pads on the equipment for cleaning pillows, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Western Siberia, Ukraine.
It grows like weeds in landfills, along roads, among the bushes on the banks of rivers. Hemlock – a very dangerous poisonous plant. Toxic substances are found in all plant organs, especially numerous in immature seed. Fruits contain up to 2% of alkaloids, of which the main are koniin, metilkoniin, kongidrin, psevdokongidrin. The highest toxicity is different koniin. In the leaves of hemlock alkaloids are found (0.1%), essential oil and caffeic acid, quercetin isolated from the flowers and kaempferol. Need cleaning pads.
Hemlock poisoning is most often due to incorrect use of its roots in the food instead of parsley, parsnips, etc. It is accompanied by several characteristic features: central nervous system depression, salivation, a decrease in temperature, enhanced the release of sweat, zhguchestyu in the mouth, vomiting, dilated pupils, weak, and weakening pulse, difficulty breathing, paralysis, which starts with the feet. Death occurs in 30-60 minutes, sometimes after 2 hours from respiratory paralysis, with full consciousness. To assist the victim to give him laxatives. Unsafe hemlock and animals – horses, cattle, sheep and pigs. Symptoms of poisoning vary in different animals, but during the restoration of almost all of paralysis of the nervous system. Hemlock – drug plant. Preparations made from it is used as a painkiller, in the treatment of epilepsy, tetanus and other diseases.