2.3 Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) Conium maculatum is a tall, branched, biennial plant, usually 1–2.5m high, and thought to be one of the most toxic members of the family Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae) of plant kingdom. The stems are rigid, smooth, and hollow except at the nodes. The plant has a bitter taste and white flower. The leaves are large, triangular; fern like, and alternate on the erect stem. The plant usually grows in waste places where moisture may accumulate and protected from cultivation, damp ground, and banks of streams, rivers, road sides, woodland and pastures. Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) has a worldwide distribution and reported as a very common weed in Europe, North and South America, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and there are data about its occurrence in Ethiopia(Mekonnen, 1994), and in Pakistan (Ahmed et al.,1989). There are numerous reports of deaths for a wide range of animal species including humans. The juice or the extract of Conium maculatum was allegedly administered to criminals or political prisoners in ancient Greece which …show more content…
The location of secretory structures and the presence of essential oils and alkaloids were investigated (Corsi and Biasci, 1998).The consumption of varying parts of the plants (leaves, fruits) can cause different degrees of clinical effects and there appears to be different susceptibility to toxicity between species. The primary time of year for poison hemlock is spring; often when there is insufficient forage available. At this time the plant may also be more palatable. The toxicity increases throughout the growing season and the roots become toxic only later in the year. Once dried, the toxicity is considered to be reduced but not eliminated. The plant causes different signs and lesions in different species of animals (Dougall and Maureen,
The objective of this experiment is to determine which of three weed kill methods will be most successful in killing the Cobblers peg weed over a five day period. Two of the weed kill methods are natural - boiling water and vinegar solution. One of the weed kill methods is a weed spray Yates ZERO.
Although farmers were aware of the fungus ergot, they did not know that ergot is the result of a mold that’s very toxic and fatal to humans. (Clark 2). They called it cockspurs, because the fact that ergot looks like black whole grains, they believed that it was just grains cooked by the sun and that they were completely harmless. (Clark 2). But they were wrong. Ergot contains alkaloids including lysergic acid isoergine (the main ingredient in LSD) so when ingested, the fungus begins to affect the central nervous system and can cause vasoconstriction. (Vogel 1 and Clark 3). It can lead to sudden death, limit fertility, and it damages the immune system making the body more susceptible to get other diseases because it’s too weak to fight off infection. (“5.1 Poisons of the Past/Ergotism.” 1). Symptoms caused by ergot are feelings of numbness, hallucinations, and feelings of suffoca...
They would not keep the parsley inside because it would bring death in the home. They did feed it to their horses though. Aethusa Cynapium, also known as Fool’s Parsley, is very poisonous and should never be consumed by humans. Although it is Apiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa, much like Knotted Hedge Parsley, except they have a triangular, white flower look and has a very unpleasant smell to them. They are often confused with regular parsley, except they actually cause death. Poisoning from fool's parsley results in symptoms of heat in the mouth and throat and a post-mortem examination has shown redness of the lining membrane of the gullet and windpipe and slight congestion of the duodenum and stomach. In Europe, only the pregnant women and witches knew how to properly plant parsley and it was only planted on Good Friday for best results. In the medical sense, Parsley is loaded with Vitamins A,C, and K. Vitamins A and C will combat the substances in the body that will kill the cells before they cause
Rabbit tobacco can be used medicinally in several ways. Smoking the leaves is good for sinusitis, head colds, and congestion. In hot teas, it is used to treat sore throats, fevers, diarrhea, colds, flu, pneumonia, asthma, and coughs, as well as a mild nerve sedative, a diuretic, and an antispasmodic. My grandmother said it was most often used in her home as a salve made of lard and ground up leaves. It was applied to the chest and back and caused profuse sweating. The effect is similar to Vicks in that it helped open up breathing passages. It is also believed by the Cherokee, as well as other Native American tribes, to help cleanse a house after a person’s absence or to cleanse the body after accidental contact with “bad medicine".
Bonnet, M., & Basson, P. W. (2004). the Toxicology of Claviceps purpurea: Ergot of Rye.
SUMMARIZE: The article focuses on studies related to anesthesia which were conducted on dogs by researchers. Topics discussed include Arthur Guedel anesthetizing a dog using tracheal tube and cocaine crystals numbing cornea. It also goes on to talk about the numbing of Nazi dogs by Jews using cocaine. Also the use of curare by a surgeon named Mario Jascalevich which resulted in a neuronal cell death. Numerous stories on chemicals tested on animals, preferably dogs and facts were presented. (78
Poison arrow frogs are one of the most interesting animals of the Amazon rainforest. Poison Arrow Frogs are very colorful. The Poison arrow frogs skin holds all of the poison. Female Poison arrow frogs lay eggs in the water which then turn into tadpoles, when nursing the tadpoles stay on the females back. They’re colorful and vibrant body warn predators to not go near them. Most Poison arrow frogs are a bright colored. The Poison arrow frogs scientific name is Dendrobatidae. Poison arrow frogs are not poisonous in captivity. They gain their poison from bugs and arthropods that they eat. Poison arrow frogs gained their name from indian tribes putting the Poison arrow frogs poison on darts and arrows. Poison arrow frogs are small and about a centimetre tall and wide. The most poisonous part of a poison arrow frog is the Poison arrow frogs skin that can kill a 180 pound 6 ft man but usually it isn’t bad. All Poison frogs are poisonous but only 3 are deadly. The most poisonous and deadly Poison arrow frog is the famous Golden arrow frog. Its poison, Batrachotoxin can kill small animals and humans. As you can see Poison arrow frogs are unique and colorful frogs.
This prompted a lot of study and investigations to uncover the mystery and to establish possible remedies. Among the many reasons for the causes of the CCD was the use of harmful and dangerous pesticides. Timbrell (2002) provides a solid foundation on the effects of toxins in the body of animals with an aim of providing a scientific solution towards the problem. This paper focuses its study on these pesticides with an aim of establishing the effects of the toxins found in the insecticides that could be affecting the bees. In CCD, honey bee colonies lose their workers under unclear circumstances (Cox-Foster et al., 2007, p. 283).
This plant was given the name Skunk Cabbage because of its distinctive “skunky” odour that it emits due to the breaking and tearing of its leaves. This odour will permeate the area where the plant grows, and can even be detected in old, dried specimens. Although, it produces such a pungent smell, it is not a poisonous odour; but it attracts its pollinators like flies, stoneflies, bees, and beetles and also serves another purpose to discourage large animals from disturbing or damaging this plant. Although, this plant is very unique due to the “smelly” odour it emits, it is also exceptionally due to its ability to maintain an approximate constant temperature of 20 degrees around it spadix, which bears both male and female flowers) even in below freezing conditions (Takashasi et al., 2009; Ito-Kikukatsu et al., 2004). This ability to grow in such conditions is due to its thermogenetic properties of the species of plant, the Skunk Cabbage is a thermogenic plant that blooms in early spring and maintains temperatures, as seen above in all-weather conditions. In this essay, I will focus on the Skunk Cabbage and its unique characteristics that allows it to survive and prosper by the means of being a poisonous species, distinctive odour, and unique metabolic mechanisms
Leaves/Buds: The leaves are an oval-shaped and about 1-2 inches long and about ¾-1/12 inches wide. They are rounded at the tip and straight across at the base, with sharp upper edges. The leaves appear pubescent, and grey when they are young. As they mature, the leaves become smoother and dark green; yellow in the fall. (St.-Pierre, 1991). The buds have an alternate arrangement and are a medium sized, 1/4inch-3/8 inch. They are a dark-brown to purplish color. The leaves and pits contain a poisonous cyanide-like substance that can cause serious health problems. Cooking or drying destroys these toxins (Turner, 1990).
“An Examination of Animal Experiments.” Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .
Schumann, Gail L., and Cleora J. D'Arcy. Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases. St. Paul: American Phytopathological Society, 2012. Print.
Get ready to learn about the deadliest and smallest poisonous animal in the world. The Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) is the most poisonous animal in the world. It’s as big as a finger very colorful. These frogs are native from Central America. In this essay, you will learn what its adaptations are, what process has it used to become what it is now, how it impacts society, how it relates to everyday life and what are the short-term and long-term impacts.
"Greek Medicine - Asclepius." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 02 July 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Common names for Datura are numerous, some of the most common ones being raving nightshade, thorn apple, stinkweed, Devil's apple, Jimson weed, and angel's trumpet (Heiser 1969:140 and Avery 1959:19). Datura can be found throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas as either native or adventive plants, and some have also been found in Africa and Australia (Conklin 1976:5). The epicenter of diversity of this plant is in the New World, specifically in Andean South America and in the southwestern United States/Mexico region (Lewis 1977:423-4). This data correlates with the generally agreed upon origin of Datura, although this topic was debated for some time. Researchers now believe the plant originated and evolved in Mexico and the American Southwest, followed by adaptive radiation into new desert environments (Conklin 1976:5).