Boligolov

BOLOGOLOV, spotted hemlock, Conium maculatum (Herba Conii maculati was formerly called Herba Cicutae terrestris); one should not confuse it with Herba Cicutae virosae, which is also poisonous but does not contain coniine, but rather cicutoxin. In ancient Greece, B. under the name cicuta represented an official poison used to poison condemned to death; the same poison was sentenced to end his life the great philosopher of antiquity, Socrates. B. is a biennial umbelliferous plant; the stem is fleshy; the plant resembles parsley, with reddish-brown spots on the underside of the stem. It occurs in all countries. Leaves and stems are collected in the second year at the beginning of flowering, renewing supplies annually, since the active principles are not stable and often disappear after a year. Freshly dried B. has a strong smell reminiscent of mouse urine; the taste is sharp, burning. Composition: coniine, C₃H₇.C₅H₁₁NH (alpha-propylpiperidine), a liquid, volatile, highly poisonous alkaloid; amount up to 0.09% in leaves and up to 1% in unripe seeds; acts on the organism partly like curare, paralyzing the endings of motor nerves, in larger doses causes cessation of the heart; methylconiine, C₈H₁₇N.CH₃, up to 0.02%; conhydrine, C₈H₁₅(OH)NH, up to 0.006%; 7-coniceine, C₃H₇.C₆H₇NH (traces), very poisonous, and others. Coniine was used internally before quite often in pure form or in the form of Extr. Conii spissum or fluidum for neuralgia and convulsive pains, but, due to its great toxicity and uncertainty of therapeutic results, is now almost entirely abandoned. The herb of boligolov is applied externally as an anesthetic in the form of Emplastrum and Unguentum, but also without sufficient justification from a pharmacological side.