Poisonous plants have long been used in religious and magical mysteries. About
poisonous potion that subjects drank, burying their kings, one can only speculate
. Probably, the property of this poison was not associated with the excitation
nervous system, most likely, he immersed people in a dream turning into oblivion and
death. Mac? Quite possibly. On the unusual properties of poppy people knew long ago:
in prehistoric pile dwellings of the Neolithic to the wetlands in the Lake Zurich
found cakes made from poppy have been applied, obviously,
to quench the pain.
Chinese are credited with knowledge of poisons mythical Emperor ShenNungu, who lived
140 years and is considered one of the gods of pharmacists and farmers, who knew the 70
plant poisons and antidotes. In China, emperors died after drinking tincture
court chemists, although it was assumed that these drinks bring eternal life,
not death. For their preparation used poisonous snakes and insects.
However, even in ancient times the importance attached to moral obligations
doctor to patient, as reflected in the Hippocratic Oath. " Although the sale
poisonous plants was not prohibited by law, it is noteworthy that the "Oath of Hippocrates
contains the following words:" I will not let anyone prosimogo I
lethal means and will not show the way for similar schemes. "
In the field of pharmacology and toxicology of the Greeks have accumulated extensive information.
One of the first botanists of antiquity was Feofast, who lived in Athens. In the essay "Studies
about plants in nine books, the last of the books devoted to medicinal and poisonous plants
, their origin, collecting and cooking techniques.
Greeks had a "poison the public," they called water hemlock, which has become the bitter glory,
being the cause of death of many illustrious men in Greece.
Gradually, the science of the properties of plant poisons is a privilege of kings and
is being developed with the most powerful courts of the ancient world. In this respect especially
fame bought the aslers of Pergamum and Pontus
kingdoms. The last king of Pergamum Attalus III reigned only 5 years old and
is survived by his unkind memory. A great connoisseur of vegetation, the king himself
planted and nursed in the palace gardens, medicinal and poisonous plants
studied the properties of their juices, fasits, knew the time of collection. He grew whitening, hellebore,
hemlock, foxglove, and other plants containing toxic alkaloids. There is
legend that, accounting for toxic cocktail, he tested their effect not only on
enemies, but also friends.
king of Pontus Mithridates VI Evpator was from plants not only poisonous
mixture, but also an antidote. The properties of their venoms Mithridates usually tested on
criminals sentenced to death. In order to make themselves invulnerable to
action of poisons, Mithridates systematically took them in small doses, and thus
as it were "accustomed" to the action of poisons.
When in ancient Rome during the civil wars, vice and debauchery reached
unprecedented scale, and suicide was a custom, in the case
good reason that the authorities could obtain a decoction of hemlock or aconite. Romans
considered voluntary death prowess, and soon acquired a mass poisoning
character. No accident that at the time appeared to clink glasses and custom to wine
splashed from one cup to another. For what purpose this was done? Order,
to show that wine is not poison.
Love potions, comprised and poisonous remedy, widely used in East
Rome (Constantinople). One of his first
emperors Valens issued a law under which persons suspected of
poisoning, were executed. During the reign of Justinian I, when it was brought into the system all
Roman law that manufactures love drinks, as well as owning
secret witchcraft, poisoners were punished particularly harshly death on the cross,
burned or thrown into a cage with wild animals. Punished as doctors and, if
it became clear that treatment was associated with a crime.
ancient physicians were, however, believe that if nature has created a poison, then there
and the antidote, you only need to be able to find it, but it is not easy. Among
extant sources preserved fragments of two poems written in
works of Greek poet and physician who lived in the II century BC, Nikandr of
colophon. The author divides all the poisons into two groups, acting slowly and rapidly;
describes the toxic properties of opium, aconite, henbane, yew tree, etc. In
as an antidote, he recommends the heated milk, warm water, mallow extract or
lion semen to induce vomiting and to avoid the suction of venom.
Claudius Galen, in his book "Antidotes" shared the poisonous substance on
cooling, warming and causing rot. His thesis states: "To treat
illness, you must use the opposite of the opposite."
last century, but little has changed in the principles of treatment of poisoning.
, plant and equipment is emetic and purgative. Readmission emetics
alternate with milk intake and fatty soups, because it is assumed that fat
neutralize the poison and did not give him soaked.
At the beginning of the XIX century there were an antidote, not lost part of his
values to this day. The most common antidotes are connected with poisons, giving
insoluble form that reduces the absorption of venom into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract
.
In 1945 in England in the laboratory Peters was synthesized
2,3 dimerkaptopropanol, called the British antilyuizita. Lewisite
part of a group of so-called thiol poisons, toxic effect which
depends on their inhibitory action on the sulfhydryl groups of proteins and amino acids
. Protective effect of an antidote because it
sulfhydryl groups compete with biological and instead set a "poison receptor complex is formed
" poison antidote, which is gradually eliminated from the body through the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract
.
In our country, a powerful Toxicology Service. As a result of rapid
development of chemical industry, an abundance of products of household chemistry,
medicines and potent means of dasg abuse, presence in
selling substandard alcoholic beverages and some foods
number of poisonings among Russians, unfortunately, from year to year.
But those who in time will turn to a medical toxicologist can be sure: thanks to the wide range of antidotes
it will be rendered effective assistance.
Published with permission from Russian
Medical Journal.