Teufelskunst Garden: Poison Hemlock

Conium maculatum

Family: Apiaceae

Related genera: Anethum, Angelica, Anthriscus, Apium, Carum, Coreandrum, Daucus, Foeniculum, Levisticum, Myrrhis, Pastinaca, Petroselinum, Pimpinella

oîda ouk eidōs - Socrates

This poisonous plant is of relevance to homeopathy, were it is applied against an array of symptoms caused by Conium-typical problems. The plant is highly toxic in all parts, containing mainly coniin, leading to death by respiratory failure. Recipes keep popping up about tinctures and hemlock extracts added to ritual wine for consumption. The toxins dissipate from harvested plant parts within a couple of days, but exact degradation rate is hard to predict. The potion that killed Socrates is said to have contained fresh green seeds of Poison Hemlock and Opium. The unripe green seeds have the highest concentration of toxin.

Name: Conium, from Greek konos= circle or konas = to whirl (causing vertigo) and maculatum = spotted
Plant: up to 2,5 meter tall, biennial, with a smooth stem that is spotted red or purple at the lower half, and white flower umbels from June to August
Toxicity: all parts of the plant contain poisonous alcaloids, with the highest concentration in the unripe green seeds
Other Names: Poison Hemlock, Devil's Bread (Irish), Beaver Poison, Herb Bennet, Musquash Root, Poison Parsley, Spotted Corobane, Spotted Hemlock, Kecksies or Kex, wodendunk, wôde-hwistle, Wutröhre, Wüterich
Deities: Typhon, Hekate, Sukkubi, the Dark Goddess in Her Strangler-Aspects, Toad-Godesses (Ragana, RUPŪЋĖ ), Wotan/Odin
Element: Water
Effects: Coldness, depression, paralysis, physical and mental restraints and weaknesses, breathlessness, death
Planet: Saturn, Moon
Symbols: Noose, Cup
Animals: Toad, Serpent
History: Sumerians used poison hemlock not only to bring plagues but to expell them likewise. Socrates died of intoxication with a potion containing fresh poison hemlock seeds and opium.
Healing: in homeopathy hemlock is used as a cure against above mentioned negative effects and problems resulting from religious indoctrination, over-austerity etc.