The
genus name for the hemlock plant tells us a lot
about the effects the plant has on a body. The
Greek word, conium, is a verb meaning to whirl.
That verb quite aptly describes the dizzying effect
felt when the juice from the deadly Conium maculatum
is ingested.
Just ask Socrates.
Oh, wait. We can’t. He’s dead.
After all, he was
forced to drink a beverage heavily laced with
hemlock juice.
All criminals sentenced
to death in ancient Athens were given a hemlock-laced
brew. It was quite popular with people committing
suicide, too.
Oftentimes the
hemlock was ingested deliberately, although with
deliberate force in many cases. Other times, people
have died accidentally after mistaking the plant’s
leaves for wild parsley and the plant’s
tuberous root for wild parsnip.
Witches liked hemlock
but the common people of Russia and Germany didn’t.
They called it the devil’s plant.
Dangerous but medicinal,
this plant was used by ancient Arab and Greek
physicians for the treatment of external symptoms
of herpes and as a poultice for tumors and ulcers.
Culpeper liked to roast it then wrap it around
a painful swollen gouty joint.
As recently as
100 years ago, hemlock was prescribed for its
sedating and antispasmodic properties for treating
convulsive disorders such as epilepsy.
In some circles,
hemlock is used as an effective treatment for
strychnine poisoning.
Every part of the
plant – from seeds, to leaves, roots, stems,
and all – are incredibly poisonous. The
strength of the poison in the juice is very unpredictable
and dosage is unreliable at best.
It is for
these reasons that hemlock is no longer a part
of the treatment given by reputable herbalists.
Reference:
Kruger, Anna; An Illustrated Guide to Herbs: Their
Medicine and Magic; A Dragon’s World Book;
Limpsfield and London; 1993
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