Theophrastus Bomabastus Von Hoheneheim (Paracelsus) said “sola dosis facet venenum,” translated as, “all things are poisonous and nothing is without poison.” (Wink & Wyk, 2008) For people living in the Great Lakes regions of Northern Michigan, it often feels the opposite, “in everything there is medicine and nothing is without medicine.” Undoubtedly, some plants can externally or internally irritate the body affecting homeostasis, including instances of photo-sensitization and allergies; but generally these symptoms are not life threatening. According to herbalists and toxicologists, it is important to “distinguish between poisons that can kill in minute amounts, toxins that are less toxic than poisons, and toxicants that are toxic in high concentrations only.” (Wink & Wyk, 2008).
To identify truly dangerous plants in Emmet county Northern Michigan, the list of poisonous plants in the ACHS Herb 101 textbook were compared to plants in Emmet county using the Field Manual of Michigan Flora. From the emerging list, eliminations were made based on established medicinal or traditional use, and toxic, allergenic or photo-sensitizing abilities. Finally, by taking into consideration the highest probability of mis-identification or improper preparation; the list of poisonous flora growing in Northern Michigan was narrowed to a legitimate five. From those five, three extremely dangerous plants were chosen: Anticlea elegans (Death Camas), Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock), and Daphne mezereum (Mezereon).
Anticlea elegans syn. Zigadenus glauca
A. elegans, sometimes referred to as Death Camas, is a plant in the Melanthiaceae family that can be found growing throughout the inner coastal sand dunes of the Great Lakes. It has been observed i...
... middle of paper ...
...uld be fatal. Therefore, the identification and understanding of poisonous plants and there habitats is an important part of safely using medicinal wild-crafted herbs from the Emmet county vicinity of Northern Michigan.
Works Cited
Petersen, Dorene. (2013) Herb 101 Basics of Herbalsim. American College of Healthcare Sciences: Portland, OR.
Stewart, Amy. (2009) Wicked Plants the Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Atrocities. Workman Publishing: New York, NY.
Westbrooks, Randy., & Preacher, James.(1953) Poisonous Plants of Eastern North America. University of South Carolina Press: Columbia, S.C.
Wink, Micheal., & Wyk, Ben-Erik. (2008) Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of The World. Timber Press: Portland, London.
Voss, Edward., & Reznicek, Tony. (2012) Field Manual of Michigan Flora. University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, MI.
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
The local residents stated that the odor of this plant is affecting their health negativ...
My grandmother grew up in Americus, GA, a rural town over 100 miles south of Atlanta. Her parents were of Cherokee descent, so I asked her about any herbal remedies passed down to her. She told me of several, but the one that she remembered with the most clarity was rabbit tobacco.
The multiple use of plants used for nourishment, medicinal purposes and practical use were ignored by Lewis and Clark during their monumental trek across the United States. Rather than consider the Native Indian’s use of native plants they persisted on using Dr. Rush’s Thunderbolt pills that probably caused more problems than the condition that inflicted them. Many modern day cultures continue to ignore native remedies and have come to depend on synthetic pharmaceutical drug production. In recent years the wealth of indigenous knowledge has been acknowledged revealing the use of native plants and the importance it had in the survival of indigenous people.. Pharmaceutical companies have utilized the immense knowledge of the indigenous people and their use of natural plants. The application of natural plant species have revealed the main reasons mankind has survived into present day. Following is a few of the plants, their application and their specific purposes.
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).
In the short story of “ The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allen Poe and the poem” A Poison Tree” by William Blake a theme about revenge is used for both the story and the poem. The theme that is used is when anger is nurtured it can turn into a poisonous revenge. To develop the themes of revenge, both writings both the authors used dramatic irony and sensory details.
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,
One of the major aspects of biodiversity is its assessment, which is nominated by its resources. Much concentration in drug plants was evinced during the early period of civilization. The use of plants for remedial purpose various human ailments and has prominently figured in ancient manuscripts such as ‘The Rigvedas’,‘The Bible’, ‘The Iliad’, ‘The Odyssey’, ‘The Sushrutsamhita’ and ‘The History of Herodotus’. The ancient Chinese were by means of drug plants more than six centuries ago. They were the pioneers in using plants as a valuable source of medicine.
Purple Loosestrife is a plant with diverse qualities. It blooms profusely and in the past has been loved by many for its ornamental value. More recently it is drawing attention to itself for outcompeting native species and altering the landscape of wetlands throughout the world.
Many plants are poisonous from poison ivy and poison sumac to flowers used in bouquets such as larkspur and lily of the valley. Plants spread their poisons in different ways. Their poisons rang from skin irritation to death. Some are poisonous to the touch while others are orally toxic and have to be ingested to cause harm. Aconite is a plant that is poisonous by touch and ingestion. The toxins on the plant cause serious health problems from tingling skin and vomiting to heart irregularities and death. Other plants are poisonous in one stage of growth and development, but completely harmless in the next. Once fully matured pokeweed turns deadly and can cause blood clots and in severe cases death when consumed.
Hilgenkamp, K. (2006). Environmental Toxins and Toxicology. In Environmental health: Ecological perspectives (pp. 89-90). Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.
Having tea and coffee had become quite popular in England but, on being imported, were costly and as the fashion spread cheaper varieties were required for the masses. Most of those were not genuine tea or coffee but were made to look like real by chemical treatment. While the adulteration of tea and coffee were fraudulent so those products were not as dangerous as some of the substances that were added in beer and porter (stout). Accum has described a substance called 'bittern' which was sold to brewers of bitter beer in huge quantities. A mixture of ground coriander seeds was also there, with Nux vomica and quassia, to impart bitterness to the brew. Since those poison’s sale was illegal under an Act of Parliament which was passed during the reign of George III, there weren’t any test to rely on for those vegetable poisons before the 1820s and so the law was not strictly and properly applied therefore only a few...
During the Middle Ages, Potentilla palustris (Marsh Cinquefoil) were regarded as having healing properties for almost any ailment and were widely collected. The genus of the cinquefoil’s Potentilla from Latin meant “powerful” was derived from its reputation as powerful cure-alls. In particular, the Potentilla erecta (Tormentil) was used as an antibiotic and an astringent (causing tissues to contract). Another bog plant, the Cladonia species was classified as an effective medicinal herb in the Middle Ages, but is only used today as fabric dyes. Some bog plants such as the Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern) were used during the colonial times for treating coughs, but this practice is now obsolete. As one of the most widely known plants from bogs, the Vaccinium species or the Bog Cranberry is the most edible and digestible plant from the bog. It produces cranberries which are most effective in treating diseases or infections in the urinary systems for both genders. Since cranberries have a low spoilage factor and a high Vitamin C content, they were extensively by all generations in American heritage as a food source for long journeys in preventing scurvy.
It is easy to find in grocery stores, in the baking aisle, near other flavorings. The scent is strong, compared to other deterrents, peppermint is far more economical. The toxicity studies of the plant have received controversial results. Some authors reported that the plant may induce liver disease, while others found that it protects against liver damage caused by heavy metals. Toxicities of the plant may vary among cultivars and are dose dependent, an effect possibly related to pulegone.
Frequently a person believes that herbal medicine is more naturally safe and soothing than drugs. Nevertheless, there’s no reasonable defense about this. Though many consumers trusted herbal medicine much more than the synthetic medicine because it’s safe and effective, but like anything else, it has its own limitations too. There are several hostile issues related to herbal medicine that has been quite alarming. Notwithstanding, majority of the most popular herbs are at least nearly safe.