 |
HEMLOCK CONIUM MACULATUM The root roasted and applied to the hands, helps the gout. The common Great Hemlock grows four or five feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) high, with very large winged leaves and umbels of white flowers. The whole plant has an ill-favoured scent. Where to find it: By walls and hedges and by the edges of streams. Flowering time: Midsummer. Astrology: Saturn claims dominion over this herb. Medicinal virtues: Hemlock is very dangerous, especially if taken inwardly. It may be safely applied to inflammations, tumults and swellings, to St Anthony's fire, wheals and creeping ulcers. The bruised leaves on the forehead are good for red and swollen eyes. Pure wine is the best antidote if too much of this herb is taken. Modern uses: It is a sedative and pain reliever, but overdosage produces paralysis. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in ointments for haemor- rhoids, anal fissure or pruritus ani, but the concentration of herb in the ointment base is critical. It is not recommended for domestic use. An alkaloid from the plant is used as a pain reliever in terminal cancer and the homoeopathic tincture is given for symptoms due to an enlarged prostate gland. |