botanical name(s): Conium maculatum
synonyms: poison hemlock, hemlock, spotted hemlock
part(s) used: green fruit, leaves
qualities:
affinities:
actions: narcotic
dosage:
» tincture: 1/30 - 3 drops
» powder: 0.06 - 0.32 g
specific indications: nervous excitation and excessive motility, with or without pain; neuralgic pain; gastric pain; nervousness and restlessness; mild maniacal excitement; persistent spasmodic or hacking cough; enfeebled state of the sexual organs, with late and scanty menstruation (Felter and Scudder, pp. 319-320)
therapy:
» external: extract applied locally for pain of cancerous growths and ulcers
» internal: excessive motility; pain; chorea; hysteria; mania; glandular swellings
(Felter and Scudder, pp. 320-321)
toxicity: 4; see alkaloid toxidrome or full text below
» treatment for overdose: rehydration, keeping airway clear; use artificial respiration if necessary; anticonvulsant therapy may be needed; antidotes: picrotoxin, Strychnine, lemon juice with vinegar (Duke, pp. 139 - 140)
» contraindicated during pregnancy; the major plant alkaloid, coniine, is known for its neurotoxicity; it has also been linked to teratogenesis (Keeler and Tu, p. 167)
» may reduce lactation and cause changes in the nutritional quality and flavor (Muenscher, p. 19)
» handling of fresh leaves may cause contact dermatitis (Hardin, p. 12-15; Muenscher, p. 8)
» oral mucosal irritant: oropharyngeal irritant with sialagogue effects
» Coniine produces severe neurotoxic signs and symptoms: in the first thirty to sixty minutes the patient experiences salivation, nausea, vomiting, and pharyngeal irritation. Mydriasis always occurs, often with double vision. These symptoms are followed by vertigo, dry mouth, headache, thirst, dysphagia. Ocular effects include dilated pupils, diplopia, and amblyopia. In severe cases the patient will experience convulsions, and weak or paralyzed muscles ascending upwards from the lower extremities and affecting the trunk and respiratory muscles. There is no loss of consciousness until right before death which occurs due to central and peripheral nervous system paralysis (Cain, p. 458; Felter and Lloyd, p. 543, Theines and Haley, p. 28; von Oettingen, p. 311)
constituents: alkaloids, mainly coniine; volatile oil
footnotes
Cain, H.D. 1980. Flint's Emergency Treatment and Management, 6th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company.
Duke, J.A. 1985. C.R.C. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: The C.R.C. Press.
Felter, H. W., and Lloyd, J. U. 1983. King's American Dispensatory, Vols. I and II. Portland, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Felter, H.W. & Scudder, John K., 1922. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Cincinnati, Ohio. Reprinted in 1985 by Eclectic Medical Publications, Portland, OR.
Hardin, J. W.; and Arena, J.M. 1974. Human Poisoning from Native Cultivated Plants, 2nd ed. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Keeler, R.F., and Tu, A.T. 1983. Handbook of Natural Toxins. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
Muenscher, W.C. 1951. Poisonous Plants of the United States. New York: The MacMillan Company.
Thienes, C.H., Haley, T.J. 1975. Clinical Toxicology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger.
von Oettingen, W.F. 1958. Poisoning: A Guide to Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders and Company.