Hemlock is a herbaceous plant of the umbellate family, almost everywhere growing on the European territory of Russia, and also found in the Caucasus and Western Siberia. Favorite places for this plant are flood meadows, forest edges, slopes of ravines, roadsides, dumps. Despite the fact that this plant is extremely poisonous, it has been used for a long time for medicinal purposes - both in folk medicine, and in traditional and homeopathy. Consider what are the therapeutic properties and contraindications of hemlock.
Description and chemical composition of the hemlock
The hemlock has a fairly high stem, sometimes reaching a height of two meters, in the lower part covered with brownish spots. The leaves are similar to the leaves of parsley and parsnip, and the flowers are white, small, collected in a complex umbrella. The flowering time of the hemlock is the first half of the summer. The fruits that form in August-September are two-seeded, decaying into semis. All parts of the plant have an unpleasant specific odor, described as "mouse", but during flowering flowers exude honey aroma.
The chemical composition of this plant is represented by the following basic substances:
- alkaloids (conium, conhydrin, methylkonin, konitsine, etc.);
- flavonoids;
- coumarins;
- tannins;
- vitamin C;
- carotene;
- caffeic acid;
- fatty oil;
- kaempferol;
- quercetin.
Healing properties of hemlock grass
The unique chemical composition of the plant determines its many useful properties:
- antispasmodic;
- immunostimulating;
- antineoplastic;
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory;
- anticonvulsant;
- diuretic;
- pain reliever;
- sedative.
Used hemlock for a variety of diseases, including hard-to-treat:
- oncological pathologies;
- benign tumors;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- nervous disorders;
- gynecological diseases;
- respiratory diseases;
- cataract;
- atherosclerosis ;
- gout;
- rheumatism and many others. other
Medications on the basis of a hemlock
For the preparation of medicines, the whole surface part of the plant is used. It is believed that the most useful properties of the plant acquire when flowering, so it is during this period that it is made to be harvested. Since the main substances of hemlock - alkaloids - are insoluble in water, the aqueous solutions and infusions prepared on its basis are practically not used for medicinal purposes. Effective is the alcohol infusion of the plant, preferably prepared from freshly picked (not dried) grass. Here is one of the recipes for its preparation.
Recipe for infusion
Ingredients:
- Freshly collected raw materials - 200 g;
- alcohol (90%) - 400 g.
Preparation and use
Place the grass in a container of glass and pour alcohol. Insist without access to light for 14 days, after which drain. The method of taking the medicine depends on the type of the disease.
Contra-indication of hemlock
Possessing a wide range of useful properties, hemlock has many contra-indications. The use of this plant requires strict adherence to dosage, and even better, if the treatment is controlled by an experienced herbalist, since the slightest inaccuracies in the treatment technique threaten serious complications. Contraindications to
- epilepsy ;
- liver disease;
- serious kidney pathologies;
- postoperative conditions;
- severe exhaustion of the body;
- pregnancy;
- breast-feeding;
- hypertension.