The wrestler is a plant of the family Lyutikov

The aconite plant (a wrestler, as it is sometimes called) looks great when planted together with most garden flowers. Fighters represent the greatest danger to farm animals, especially during the flowering period, because even if dried, they do not lose their toxic properties.

The plant's toxicity directly depends on the phases of development, as well as on the soil and climatic conditions in which it grows. Examples include wrestlers growing in the north, which are less poisonous than in the south.

Basic data

Representing a herbaceous plant Lyutikov, the wrestler is extremely poisonous. There are several names of this plant in the people, among which the most famous are such names as wolf root, king-potion or king-grass and blue buttercup.

The height of the plant does not exceed 20 cm. Its flowers are unique and outwardly strongly resemble the helmets of ancient warriors. In addition, they are bisexual and collected in racemose inflorescences. The bowl consists of five sepals, the upper one of which covers several petals of the wrestler, being for them a kind of helmet.

After the flowering period, which falls on the middle of summer, the plant forms a multifarious fruit. The root has a fleshy structure and is represented by several tubers, the main one of which is the bearing part for the trunk. In this case, when the fighter blossoms, the main tuber begins to gradually degrade, giving the plant most of its nutrients, and the second accumulates them in itself, increasing substantially in size until the next year, when the fighter again blossoms.

It is noteworthy that the content of alkaloids in the aconite composition can vary significantly depending on the season and different climatic conditions.

Poisoning animals with aconite

In the event that the animal is consumed by the fighter along with the rest of the herbs, the first sign of poisoning is the appearance of uncontrolled salivation. In the future, the pulse slows down and significantly reduces not only the blood pressure, but also the overall body temperature.

Against the background of the initial signs, diarrhea and icterus of the mucous membrane can be observed, but the most significant effect of aconite is on the state of the nervous system, substantially destroying its integrity and thereby affecting the ability of the animal to normal breathing, completely paralyzing it, which eventually leads to death .

History of the use of aconite

The wrestler is a poisonous plant whose properties were already known in ancient times. The whole plant, including even the smell, is extremely dangerous to humans. In ancient times, from its juice, even poisons were made, in which the tips of arrows were dipped for more effective destruction of enemies, and with it poisoned baits intended for large predators and water sources in the attacks of enemies.

Surprisingly, some hunters still use this plant instead of strychnine to destroy wolves, whose population can threaten both humans and farm animals.

Why is the aconite so poisonous?

Toxicity of the plant is directly related to the content of alkaloids in it, among which the main place is occupied by aconitin. All of them have a significant effect on the central nervous system and cause later convulsions and complete paralysis of the respiratory center.

Despite the fact that this plant is the family Lyutikov, the wrestler rightfully occupies the position of one of the most poisonous plants on earth. In the event that a person takes 2-4 grams of the plant from any part of it containing alkaloids, this will be a sufficient dose for the onset of a lethal outcome.

Manifestation of fighter poisoning in humans

Poisoning of a person by a fighter is manifested in a couple of minutes. The first signs are uncontrolled tingling in the mouth and pharynx, which over time is replaced by a constant burning sensation.

As a result, the mouth begins to salivate, abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, but these signs can not be compared with the fact that different areas of the skin and nasopharynx will gradually become numb, leading a person into a state of stun and breaking his visual perception.

With severe form of poisoning, a lethal outcome can occur within a few hours.

Spread of aconite

A herbaceous plant, the fighter contains many dangerous components, the main compound of which is aconitin, which is found in large quantities in tuberous roots. The danger of poisoning is further strengthened by the fact that this plant is distributed in more than 300 different species, while in the Far Eastern territories in Russia there are over 50 varieties of fighter.

In a large number of them can be found among meadow grasses, in forests, copses and fringes. Since this plant is widespread almost everywhere, it is important to know the favorite places for its growth. Among them, one can distinguish those types of wrestlers who like to grow in a wooded area in close proximity to fern thickets, but the most dangerous are those types of fighter that grow surrounded by cereals, because individual plant elements can be harvested together with the crop.

The use of wrestler in medicine

Despite the extremely high content of poisonous elements in the aconite, the wrestler is a plant that has excellent healing qualities. It can be used as an effective anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, antiallergic and sedative, so in Tibet the wrestler was promoted to the title of King of Medicine.

Wrestler - a plant that is successfully used in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, including even depression and neuroses. In addition, it can significantly stabilize the digestive system and significantly affect the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Preparations from aconite

In order to turn this extremely poisonous plant into a useful, medicinal component, pharmacists need a lot of work. Because of the high toxicity, it was decided to stop using the fighter in Western medicine, but it is widely used in homeopathy for the treatment of a variety of diseases.

Preparations made on its basis are in most cases presented in the form of granules composed of several plant species. Since the fighter is a poisonous plant and eventually leads to paralysis of the airways, when creating tinctures from them, they can be used as an anesthetic for operations on the eyeball, removal of foreign elements from the body, and even as an anesthetic for such a serious disease as syphilis.

Collection and processing of plants

To produce a variety of medicines, the roots of the plant are usually used. They are harvested in autumn, when the wrestler's leaves die, preparing him for the winter period of time. It is noteworthy that the tubers, drying out, significantly decrease in size and to collect 1 kg, it will take from 4 to 5 kg of the plant. In some cases, the grass itself is harvested immediately before and during flowering.

The tubers are excavated, washed in cold water and dried under a canopy in a warm, darkened room. When collecting leaves, they are dried under a canopy in the shade. It is necessary to ensure that the leaves after drying retain a dark green color.

Precautions during collection

The wrestler is a plant, when starting to collect it, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it is extremely poisonous. Therefore, one should not allow even minimal particles of pollen from the leaves and roots to enter the respiratory tract, it must be protected with a respirator. It is also important to observe precautions regarding the juice of the plant, especially if abrasions are present on the body. After working with aconite, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Store the raw material of aconite separately from other herbs and make a protective labeling.