Creeping buttercup

The name of this wildflower can be found in songs and poems, although its meaning is not at all romantic - the buttercup is so nicknamed for its “fierce” poisonous juice that corrodes the skin. However, the attractive appearance of the plant has always encouraged rural young men to collect it in bouquets and give it to their beloved girls. Traditional healers and healers pick buttercups for another purpose - to collect raw materials and prepare medicinal decoctions, tinctures and ointments. Today we will tell you all about the beneficial properties of buttercup and its use in medicine.

Full description of buttercup

The buttercup plant belongs to the family of the same name, and in Latin it is called ranunculus, which means “little frog”. It is not the green color or the specific shape of the flowers that is the reason for such a funny name. It's all about the buttercup's devoted love for moist soil and sunlight. Like a frog basking on a mossy stone, the buttercup settles along the banks of small, swampy bodies of water, and stretches its delicate petals towards the warm sun.

Appearance

Buttercup is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant with a regular or tuberous rhizome, with a branched straight or prostrate stem. The buttercup can reach one meter in height, but more often it is a low-growing (20-30 cm) flower. The shape of buttercup leaves is very diverse, and, in the same plant, the lower leaves can be long, palmate or spade-shaped, and the upper ones can be short and feathery. Their length and width do not exceed six centimeters, and at the point of attachment to the stem there is a so-called “honey” hole, covered with thin scales.

Bright, beautiful buttercup flowers are distinguished by their regular shape, but tiny size - no more than two centimeters in diameter. They can grow singly or gather in lush inflorescences. At the end of flowering, fruits are set, which in biology are called “multi-nuts”. When they ripen and burst, the seeds fall out onto the ground, usually covered with fine hairs and slightly convex. Each polynut contains several dozen seeds, so the buttercup has no problems with reproduction.

Color spectrum

Usually, when we hear the word “buttercup,” we imagine small yellow-orange flowers, but the color range of these plants is very wide. In nature, there are also snow-white, bright red, soft pink, sky blue and even lilac buttercups.

Habitats

Buttercup is a frequent visitor to green meadows, river valleys and marshy backwaters throughout Europe, especially in the Alps and Pyrenees. This plant is found in Asia, the North Caucasus, and Western Siberia. Buttercup grows almost throughout the entire northern hemisphere, except in the Far North and hot south, where the climate is completely unsuitable. Residents of Russia are familiar with buttercups - these flowers can be found in almost every field, especially if it is crossed by a river or there is a swamp nearby.

Content:

Buttercup (Ranunculus L.)

see also 2. PLANTS CAUSE EXCITATION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AFFECT THE DIGESTIVE TRACT, HEART AND KIDNEYS

Botanical information.

Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). The genus of buttercups is one of the most extensive in the flora of the Soviet Union; Its individual representatives are found in all parts of the country. Annual or perennial herbaceous plants with palmate or pinnately divided, rarely entire leaves, and solitary flowers. They have the greatest toxicological significance:

Buttercup caustic

(Ranunculus acer L.). Perennial. The stem is branched, multi-flowered, 30-70 cm high; basal and lower stem leaves are petiolate, five-dissected almost to the base into deeply incised lanceolate or linear, entire or toothed lobes, the upper ones are sessile, tripartite; flowers are golden yellow; receptacle not elongated; the fruit is a spherical head.

Widely distributed in the European part of the USSR and Western Siberia. Grows in meadows (more humid), lawns in forests; like weeds - in the fields.

Poisonous buttercup

(R. sceleratus L.). Annual or biennial plant. The stem is hollow, grooved, branched, more or less thick, 20-45 cm high; leaves are somewhat fleshy, the upper ones are tripartite or three-incised into linear or oblong lobes, the uppermost ones are sessile, oblong, toothed-separate or incised; flowers yellow, small; receptacle elongated; the fruit is an oblong-cylindrical head.

Widely distributed in the European part of the USSR, Siberia, the Far East, and Central Asia. Grows in damp, muddy places, the banks of ponds, swamps, and lakes.

Buttercup is caustic.

Buttercup is poisonous.

Creeping buttercup

(R. repens L.). Perennial. Stems are prostrate or ascending with long, sometimes rooting, ground, creeping shoots; leaves, with the exception of the upper ones, petiolate, once twice-triple-dissected into lobes, in turn deeply dissected into lobules; flowers are golden yellow; fruit heads are spherical.

Widely distributed in the European part of the USSR, the Caucasus, Siberia, and the Far East. Grows in moist soil, damp meadows, along damp ditches.

Banewort. Banewort

(R. flammula L.). Perennial. Stem Single, 15–50 cm high; leaves basal and lower stem on petioles, oblong-elliptic, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, entire, upper stem - narrow, almost linear, sessile; the flowers are small, yellow.

Distributed in the European part of the USSR, Western Siberia. It grows in damp meadows and swamps, river banks, and more in the northern zone.

Buttercup

(R. ficaria L.). Perennial. Leaves are rounded, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped; the flowers are yellow and shiny.

Distributed in the European part of the USSR and the Caucasus. It grows among bushes, in meadows, clearings, and on the edges of forests.

Other species are listed: for the more northern parts of Europe and Asia - Gmelin’s buttercup

(Ranunculus Gmelini D. C),
Hyperborean buttercup
(R. hyperboreus Rottb.),
Lapland buttercup
(R. laponnicus L.), etc.;
for the Arctic - Nenets buttercup
(R. samojedorum Rupr.),
snow buttercup
(R. nivalis L.), etc.;
for Siberia - floating buttercup
(R. natans S.A.M.),
rooting buttercup
(R. radicans S.A.M.), etc.;
for Eastern Siberia - Yakut buttercup
(R. jakuticus Ovez);
for the Far East -
Amur
buttercup Japanese buttercup
(R. japonicus Thunb.), etc.;
for Central Asia - Djungarian buttercup
(R. songoricus Schrenk.),
Turkestan buttercup
(R. turkestanicus Franch.), etc.

Banewort.

Buttercup Turkestan.

Toxic substances and their effects.

The active substance of buttercups, protoanemonin C5H4O2, is a volatile compound with a very pungent odor and pungent taste. By chemical nature it belongs to the group of lactones. When plants dry out, its content in plants gradually decreases. During long-term storage of aqueous solutions (for example, distillations from fresh plants), protoanemonin polymerizes and precipitates in the form of crystalline anemonin C10H8O4 [The All-Union Institute of Experimental Veterinary Medicine, veterinary experimental stations and practical veterinarians have established the great medicinal value of buttercup preparations (protoanemonin) for many diseases of farm animals, mainly purulent, putrefactive, purulent-necrotic in nature (wound infections, epizootic lymphangitis of horses, necrobacillosis, “hoof rot” of sheep). The beneficial effect of protoanemonin is based on its ability to have a stimulating effect on the body: it tones the nervous system, activates the reticuloendothelial system, improves hematopoiesis. In the treatment of purulent wounds and ulcers, the antibiotic activity of protoanemonin is of great importance; its antibacterial effect is manifested in dilutions up to 1: 80,000.].

Protoanemonin has strong organoleptic properties; its vapors cause symptoms of severe irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, and larynx: lacrimation, sharp pain in the eyes, nasal discharge, cough, laryngeal spasms. Parenteral (under the skin, in the body cavity) administration of various buttercup preparations causes severe irritation at the sites of application of the drug. When injecting concentrated distillates under the skin, deep tissue necrosis may occur. Enteral administration of preparations from buttercups causes severe irritation of the entire digestive tract in the form of severe hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Laboratory studies (I.A. Gusynin) indicate a strong effect of buttercup preparations on the cardiovascular system.

Toxicological significance

buttercups are found mainly in areas where, due to local conditions, farms are forced to use grazing animals or feed them with fresh grass collected from damp, swampy places. Poisonings can be explained by the overgrown nature of buttercup plants and the fact that they are mixed with beneficial vegetation; in some cases, the plants are small in size, so animals cannot separate them and capture them along with other plants. Voracious eating of grass, which occurs when animals are hungry, can also contribute to animal poisoning.

In the dried state (in hay), due to the volatilization of the active principles, buttercups become less poisonous.

Mainly cattle and sheep are poisoned, and less often horses; There are reports of rabbits being poisoned when feeding them green grass. Cases of severe poisoning of cattle are known in a number of regions in the more northern part of the USSR (Sverdlovsk region, Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). In all cases, the place where poisoning occurs is called flooded riverine meadows and damp forest clearings (A. M. Bochenkova, A. P. Yablonskaya, V. S. Taranenko).

Part of the poison in case of buttercup poisoning is excreted in milk. On farms where suckling rearing of young animals is practiced, severe diseases of calves from the milk of mothers grazing in areas with buttercups in the grass are sometimes observed (Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic); 2.5-3 kg of grass eaten by the mother, with relatively little disruption to her own health, makes the milk very dangerous for the suckling calf. It is especially dangerous to allow calves during the period of noticeable signs of poisoning in the mother: agitation, lack of appetite, lethargy, hyperemia of the oral mucosa, changes in the taste of milk. In the experiment, cows' milk became acutely toxic 10-12 hours after they were fed dangerous amounts of the plant. The calf's disease begins soon after suckling (V.S. Taranenko).

Clinical picture.

Eating buttercups causes severe irritation of the entire digestive tract and kidneys. Clinically, this is expressed in drooling, refusal to feed, lack of chewing gum, urge to vomit, sharp abdominal pain, attacks of severe anxiety, and later in the onset of severe diarrhea. Sometimes blood appears in the stool and urine. Urine is often passed with significant pain. Lesions of the digestive tract and night are supplemented by nervous phenomena: general trembling, convulsions, rotational eye movements, impaired consciousness, general weakness, complete loss of the ability to stand. In some cases, animals die within 1/2-1 hour after the first signs of poisoning.

In calves poisoned by mother's milk, the disease is severe, they experience colic, tremors, bloating, a sharp decline in cardiac activity, a frequent, sometimes uncountable pulse, shallow rapid breathing, convulsions (throwing back of the head, rotational movements of the eyeballs, swimming movements legs), moans, roars. Poisoned animals die quickly (from 1 to 6-12 hours).

With a prolonged course, signs of damage to the digestive tract and kidneys come to the fore - diarrhea, pain in the lumbar region (V.S. Taranenko).

Pathological changes.

At autopsy, the first thing that attracts attention is the phenomena of severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is severely inflamed, swollen, with hemorrhages; the contents of the intestines are often bloody. The kidneys are enlarged, with hemorrhages under the capsule and in the thickness of the parenchyma; the latter is inflammatory and has a reddish color on the section. The spleen is enlarged and full of blood. The color of the liver is yellowish, the parenchyma is flabby. Hemorrhages on the epicardium and endocardium.

Diagnosis

can be determined based on the study of all clinical data and inspection of animal grazing areas. Examination of the stomach contents of dead animals may be of decisive importance.

For qualitative detection of protoanemonin, several milliliters of the test solution (squeezed diluted plant juice, preferably distilled from plant mass or stomach contents) are mixed with a small amount of sodium nitroprusside and then with sodium hydroxide; a red color appears. The addition of acetic acid causes a violet color (I. A. Gusynin).

Therapy.

Measures must be taken to quickly remove poison from the stomach, slow down its absorption or quickly inactivate it. To do this, you can prescribe alkaline solutions and agents that protect the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. Quick orientation in choosing remedies is especially necessary when treating poisoning in young animals (suckling calves). It is especially necessary to monitor the activity of the heart. For severe diarrhea, use astringents and a gentle diet.

For prevention purposes, it is necessary to carefully monitor the grazing areas of animals. Animal grazing on grass that is heavily infested with buttercups is unacceptable. Particular attention should be paid to lactating animals to prevent poisoning of calves through milk. Chemical control agents are used to destroy buttercups in the grass stand (during thicket settlement).

^GL:
BUTTERCUPLE (RANUNCULUS L.)

Types of buttercup

Science knows about six hundred species of buttercup, all of them are poisonous to varying degrees, and useful to varying degrees. Traditional medicine in many countries of the world has adopted these flowers, and they have found their place in the bins of Russian healers.

Currently, the following types of buttercup are used to treat a wide range of diseases:

Caustic (night blindness);
Poisonous;
Burning;
Field;
Bolotny;
Creeping;
Multi-flowered.

Buttercup (night blindness)

Night blindness has a very wide range of habitats. The scientific name is ranunculus acris. It is the caustic buttercup that is best known to the average person, and it is its golden-sunny petals that make us consider all buttercups yellow. Night blindness is one of the tallest plants in the buttercup family; it can reach an adult's waist. The stem of the caustic buttercup is straight, ascending, covered with thin appressed hairs and branching at the end. The leaves have an irregular shape and can normally differ greatly from each other.

The rhizome of night blindness is very short for such a tall plant, it consists of numerous thread-like shoots collected in a bunch. Bright flowers most often appear individually at the ends of branches; they almost never form large inflorescences. Why is this pretty plant nicknamed “night blindness”? Of course, for the ability of poisonous juice to irritate mucous membranes. If you rub your eyes after collecting buttercup, they will become very watery due to the alkaloid protoanemonin. In rural areas, there has long been an opinion that chickens should not be allowed to graze in a buttercup field, otherwise they will go blind. But this “horror story” has not been confirmed by science.

Use of ranunculus in medicine

For medicinal purposes, the stems and leaves of night blindness are used, the juice of which contains alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides and tannins. The main alkaloid in buttercup is called protoanemonin, and it is directly related to poisonous sea anemones.

Acrid buttercup has the following beneficial effects on the human body:

Tonic;
Bactericidal;
Anti-inflammatory;
Immunostimulating;
Hemostatic;
Accelerates metabolic processes;
Stimulates hematopoiesis and increases hemoglobin levels.

Preparations based on ranunculus are used to treat the following diseases:

Gout;
Lupus;
Burns and wounds;
Furunculosis;
Scabies;
Migraine;
Rheumatism;
Lupus;
Arthritis;
Eczema;
Hernia;
Malaria;
Fever;
Hepatitis;
Cold;
Ascites;
Constipation;
Arrhythmia;
Toothache;
Warts;
Internal bleeding;
Calluses;
Lipomas;
Inflammation of the lymph nodes;
Scurvy;
Mastitis;
Trophic ulcers;
Impetigo;
Hidradenitis;
Enlarged spleen;
Dysentery;
Staphylococcus aureus;
Menstrual cycle disorders.

Planting buttercups in open ground

To plant buttercups in flower beds, carefully prepare the soil by adding mineral fertilizers and digging.

Seeds

Since ranunculus is heat-loving, its seeds should not be planted directly into the garden. In February they are sprouted for seedlings. To do this, they are first treated with a fungicide and scattered over the surface of the soil into prepared boxes, placing them at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. Then cover lightly with soil and spray. A transparent film is stretched over the top or covered with glass. The containers are placed in a sunny place. Seeds germinate in about two weeks.

After two true leaves appear, the plants are planted, leaving 5 cm between them. The seedlings are transplanted into open ground only after the onset of warm weather and when 3 pairs of leaves appear on the stems.

Tubers

Buttercups are planted in open ground no earlier than May. Before planting tubers, humus and fertilizers are added to the soil. The roots themselves are soaked in a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a biostimulant for several hours.

Tubers are planted in the ground in a bright place, but protected from direct rays. The distance between plantings is 20 cm. Then water. Shoots will appear in 2 weeks.

Poisonous buttercup

The scientific name of this type of buttercup is ranunculus sceleratu. A one-two-year-old low (10-70 cm) plant with a branched, hollow inside stem blooms with tiny (7-10 mm) pale yellow flowers. But the leaves of the poisonous buttercup are bright green, shiny and more juicy and fleshy than those of night blindness, so you can get more juice from them.

By the way, it contains much more poisonous alkaloids than the juice of the previously described species, which is why the poisonous buttercup is called that.

The poisonous buttercup has fluffy seeds that do not get wet in water and do not rot. Moreover, under the top layer of their skin there are special cells in the form of empty cones, thanks to which the seeds cannot drown in water.

The use of poisonous buttercup in medicine

The high content of alkaloids makes the internal use of poisonous buttercup almost impossible, but external use helps with many diseases. For example, if the juice is diluted with water and applied to skin affected by scabies mites, the itching will go away on the same day, and with a week of regular rubbing you can get rid of the annoying parasite forever.

A weaker solution of poisonous buttercup juice is excellent for washing eyes with barley and disinfecting purulent wounds. If an abscess is ripening on the skin, you need to apply chopped fresh grass to the area and wrap it overnight. The poisonous juice will draw the inflammation out, and the painful abscess will open. Freshly squeezed concentrated juice of poisonous buttercup can also remove warts if you apply it regularly several times a day. And in a hot infusion of poisonous buttercup it is good to soak your feet at night for rheumatism.

For internal use, it is necessary to first dry the raw material so that the volatile alkaloids evaporate from the poisonous buttercup.

Decoctions and infusions from dried plants help with the following diseases:

Enterocolitis;
Bronchial asthma;
Women's diseases;
Pneumonia;
Edema and dropsy;
Pleurisy;
Weakness and dizziness.

Creeping buttercup (ranunculus repens) is no less poisonous than the species described above, but is called that way because of the short stems that creep along the ground, which often take root. Thus, we can say that the creeping buttercup has a combined type of reproduction - vegetative and seed. It does not need a lot of seeds, so the plant blooms with large single honey-yellow flowers for a buttercup (2 cm in diameter), crowning each stem. Flowering continues for a long time - from late spring to late summer. The creeping buttercup, and unlike its fellows, does not favor the sun; it prefers the shady shores of forest lakes and swamps.

The use of creeping buttercup in medicine

The juice of this plant perfectly kills microbes, and also tones the body, heals and anesthetizes wounds. Chopped fresh herbs are used to remove warts, diluted juice is used to treat scabies, and pulp is made from the fleshy stems and applied to boils and abscesses so that they ripen and open as quickly as possible. Compresses with creeping buttercup relieve pain in the joints and back, and washing and baths effectively kill fungus on the feet.

External use of creeping buttercup can alleviate the following diseases:

Sciatica;
Radiculitis;
Myositis;
Rheumatism;
Osteochondrosis;
Polyarthritis;
Scrofula;
Gout.

To prepare an infusion for internal use, you need to take either only the flowers of the creeping buttercup or the dried herb. For a glass of boiling water you will need one teaspoon of crushed raw materials. The container with the infusion should be wrapped warmly for half an hour immediately after steaming, and then strained (very carefully!) and taken one tablespoon three times a day before meals. This remedy perfectly helps with chronic headaches, migraines, epilepsy, dropsy, stomach and intestinal bleeding.

Fresh flowers of creeping buttercup significantly alleviate the condition of patients with malaria. Since attacks of this disease overcome a person mainly in the evenings, you need to crush the flowers in the morning and apply the resulting pulp to the inside of the wrists and elbows, where large blood vessels pass. In this simple way you can prevent or at least mitigate an attack of malaria.

When applying concentrated buttercup juice externally, this highly toxic substance should not be left on the skin for more than fifteen minutes, otherwise ulceration or even necrosis will develop.

Banewort

In Latin, the burning buttercup is called ranunculus flammula. This is a compact, low (20-50 cm) plant with a vertical or slightly sloping stem and two types of leaves: the lower ones are long-petioled, and the upper ones are wide and sessile. Burning buttercup blooms with single small (12 mm in diameter) pale yellow or lemon flowers. The fruit of this plant is not at all the same as that of night blindness: it is not a multi-nut, but a single-seeded, egg-shaped leaflet. Buttercup is a big lover of dampness, it likes swampy meadows and the shores of forest lakes.

The use of buttercup in medicine

The juice of the plant contains rare beneficial substances - coumarins and gamma-lactones. They have a therapeutic effect against scurvy, and this was discovered in ancient times, when the disease was very widespread. To treat scurvy, it is recommended to squeeze a few drops of juice into half a glass of water and drink this medicine before meals three times a day for a month.

The alkaloids contained in buttercup cause an immune response in the body of a cancer patient, with the help of which a person can cope with a serious illness. For cancer, traditional healers advise steaming one tablespoon of fresh crushed hot buttercup with a liter of boiling water, leave for an hour, then strain and take a tablespoon four times a day until all the medicine is drunk. After two weeks, the course of treatment can be repeated. We emphasize that this technique can only be used with the permission of the treating oncologist!

Buttercup multiflorum

Ranunculus polyanthemus is a stately (60-100 cm) beautiful plant with a straight pubescent stem and large (up to 3 cm in diameter) bright yellow flowers collected in inflorescences. The leaves of this species are long, wedge-shaped, and their petioles are also covered with thin hairs, like the stem. The multiflowered buttercup has a short flowering period - from June to July, it does not reproduce very actively, and therefore is found in nature less often than its counterparts described above. This buttercup shies away from civilization and can be seen in forest clearings and wide untouched meadows.

Use of Ranunculus multiflorum in medicine

The stems, leaves and flowers of buttercup multiflorum contain the alkaloid protoanemonin, as well as flavonoids, ascorbic acid and carotene.

Such a rich composition makes it possible to use this plant to treat many diseases:

Neuralgia;
Migraines;
Gout;
Furunculosis;
Rheumatism;
Malaria;
Purulent wounds;
Skin tuberculosis.

To prepare an infusion of buttercup multiflorum, you need to steam two teaspoons of fresh crushed raw materials with half a liter of boiling water and leave for forty minutes, and then strain thoroughly. Take the infusion 3-4 times a day before meals, one tablespoon.

Growing buttercups from seeds

Buttercup flowers reproduce by dividing the rhizome or by seed. If you decide to grow buttercup from seeds, you should know that it is best to purchase planting material in specialized stores or departments, since collecting the seeds of your own plants is difficult, and their viability is low. Buttercup seeds are sown at the end of February or beginning of March in loose, light soil consisting of peat soil (one part), leaf soil (one part) and sand (half part). The seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil on top, which is then moistened with a spray bottle. The container with the crops is covered with glass and kept at a temperature of 10-12 ºC, regularly ventilated and removing condensation from the glass.

Shoots usually appear after 2-3 weeks, and then the container needs to be moved to a warmer and brighter place (about 20 ºC), and a south-facing window with shading from direct sunlight is most suitable for this. If necessary, provide additional lighting for the seedlings. In the phase of 4-5 true leaves, young plants dive into peat-humus pots.

Buttercup

Field buttercup (ranunculus arvensis) is a relatively low (up to 60 cm) plant with a vertical, highly branched, almost bare stem and wide dissected leaves. This species blooms with single golden-yellow flowers about one and a half centimeters in diameter. The rhizome of the plant consists of several small tubers, in which the content of alkaloids is higher than in the above-ground part. The field buttercup got its name precisely because of its love for fields, meadows and pastures. It settles in open areas and grows well even on acidic, loamy and carbonate soils.

The use of buttercup in medicine

Field buttercup, like all others, is a good tonic, disinfectant and analgesic, but it also has two additional properties: antipyretic and laxative. Alcohol tincture of buttercup is used for rubbing during fever and warming compresses for sore throat, radiculitis and osteochondrosis. A paste of fresh leaves and stems eliminates warts and accelerates the maturation of abscesses. Buttercup tubers have not been left without attention - food additives are obtained from them industrially.

Description of garden varieties

Garden varieties have a very impressive appearance that can decorate not only the garden, but also the house. The most popular include the following:

Asiatic. A garden variety with beautiful double flowers that look like a rose. It grows as a subshrub up to 40 cm high. Flowers can be of different shades; this species has a rich range of colors. Instead of roots there are tubers in which they store nutrients for wintering. During the winter, the above-ground part disappears. They love warm climates and bright sunlight. But experienced gardeners were able to adapt them to moderate climatic realities, so they grow well at low temperatures.
African. The second name is turban-shaped. A variety with peony-like flowers. They have petals wrapped inward and large leaves of bright green color.
Aconitofolia. Flowers are white or yellow. The height of the bush is about 80 cm.
Borocelifolia. Tall shrub almost 90 cm in height. With lots of white and yellow flowers.

Buttercup marsh

This type of buttercup is sometimes called aquatic, following the literal translation of the Latin name - ranunculus aquatica. This amazing plant is not at all like its terrestrial counterparts - it takes root directly under water, sometimes at an impressive depth (up to two meters). Marsh buttercup has a thin bare stem and small (3-4 cm) light green leaves. The petiole of the leaves is approximately the same length as the leaves themselves. The shape is also unusual - the leaves of the marsh buttercup are thin, feathery, and do not exceed 12 millimeters in width.

The water buttercup is the only species we described that blooms not with yellow, but with white flowers peeking out of the water. The flowering period takes about five months and occurs at the end of spring - beginning of autumn, and ends with the ripening of a gray ovoid fruit with spiny bristles at the top. Marsh buttercup is found everywhere: in Europe, Asia, America, and even Africa. It can sit comfortably in any shallow body of standing water or in a slow-flowing river. This plant is also found on marshy, silty soils, but much less frequently.

The use of buttercup in medicine

In addition to the alkaloid protoanemonin, the stems and leaves of buttercup contain saponins, which is why it is considered a powerful natural tonic and aphrodisiac. To prepare a decoction that stimulates sexual function, you need to pour a tablespoon of fresh chopped buttercup with a glass of boiling water, boil for 3-5 minutes, then wrap and leave for one hour. The finished medicine is carefully filtered and taken a tablespoon before meals three times a day. This infusion increases sexual desire in both men and women.

In conclusion, I would like to say that all the types of buttercup we described are poisonous and have a similar chemical composition, so they are interchangeable. The main thing is not to start treatment with buttercup without consulting a doctor, because you need to be careful with any poisonous plants!

Acrid buttercup and creeping buttercup - comparison

Creeping buttercup and caustic buttercup are considered very similar varieties:

Both species are low perennial plants.
They have the same structure of a small yellow flower and fruit, a similar flowering and fruiting period.
The main difference can be called the thick creeping stem of the creeping buttercup versus the straight and thin stem of the caustic one.
Both plants are poisonous, but the concentration of toxins in the caustic one is higher.
Creeping buttercup, whose distribution is mainly concentrated in the south of Europe and in the foothills of the Caucasus, loves marshy areas. The caustic variety, distributed throughout Europe, prefers forested areas.

Collection and preparation of buttercups

The optimal time for harvesting buttercups is the end of the flowering period, when the fruits are just setting and the petals have not yet fallen from all the flowers. At this point, the concentration of nutrients in the above-ground parts of the plants reaches its climax. Buttercup roots are rarely used in medicine due to their extreme toxicity.

Collecting buttercups is done using garden pruners or large, sharp scissors. You need to carefully cut the stems at a height of 5-10 cm above the ground to get the juiciest part of the plant. It is not recommended to pick buttercups for two reasons: firstly, you will stain your hands with poisonous juice, and secondly, you will damage the root system, and the plant will most likely die.

By the way, for greater safety, it is better to collect buttercups wearing gloves and thick clothing. If it comes in contact with the skin, and especially the mucous membranes, buttercup juice causes severe irritation and burns, even leading to the formation of ulcers and blisters. The collected raw materials must be thoroughly washed and dried in the attic or under a canopy. Naturally, all these manipulations must be performed with gloves.

Buttercup should not be dried in direct sunlight, since this will completely evaporate most of the active substances, including protoanemonin.

When does buttercup bloom?

Flowering periods for plants of this family vary greatly in duration, depending on the species. There are buttercups that bloom in April, and by June fruits with seeds already appear on them, and there are also those that delight the eye with bright flowers from May to October, such as the marsh buttercup. If you come across thickets of buttercup and are planning to collect raw materials, try to identify the species using scientific literature and photographs and, thus, find out the optimal time for harvesting.

How to store?

Fresh buttercups cannot be stored at all; the beneficial substances quickly evaporate from them, so it is necessary to begin treatment immediately. But the dried raw materials can be packaged in paper bags and hidden in a closet, where the buttercup will retain its medicinal properties for about one year.

Buttercup care

Rules of care

Caring for buttercups in the garden includes properly organized watering, loosening the soil, weeding, fertilizing, timely removal of wilted flowers and pest or disease control, if the need arises. You will also have to make sure that the buttercup does not grow beyond the limits that you have set for it and does not displace other, less aggressive plants from the garden bed or flowerbed. It is necessary to moisten the area with buttercups regularly, without skipping watering and avoiding waterlogging of the soil, since buttercups are very sensitive in this matter. As you can see, planting buttercups and caring for them in the garden is a simple matter that even a novice gardener can do.

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Fertilizer

During the period of increasing leaf mass, the buttercup is fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen, for example, Kemira-universal, every two weeks, and when the process of bud formation begins, potassium-phosphorus fertilizer must be applied at the same frequency.

Pests and diseases

Growing buttercups has another advantage: with proper watering, you will not have to deal with insects or diseases, since buttercups are very resistant to both diseases and pests. But if you overdo it with moistening the area, the plants can be affected by root rot, which is why it is so important to place a layer of drainage in each hole when planting. To be fair, it must be said that sometimes, in very wet summers, buttercups are affected by powdery mildew, the leaves of the plant can attract cabbage butterflies, and the roots can attract nematodes. If you find pests, use bioinsecticidal preparations to combat them.

Composition and properties of buttercup

All types of buttercup contain the following biologically active substances:

Protoanemonin is a volatile poisonous alkaloid with a sharp characteristic odor and bitter, pungent taste. A small amount of protoanemonin has a healing effect on the human body: it tones, stimulates the nervous system, increases immunity, kills microbes, increases the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. And in large doses it is a powerful plant poison with a nerve-paralytic effect, causing death from depression of the respiratory center;
Coumarins are natural anticoagulants, which also accelerate cellular regeneration processes, act as a source of vitamin P, and prevent the growth of tumors and the formation of blood clots;
Cardiac glycosides are substances that normalize cardiac activity, slow down the rhythm of contractions of the heart muscle during tachycardia, increase systole and lengthen diastole, activate blood circulation and reduce blood pressure;
Saponins – work as a choleretic agent, and also reduce temperature and pressure, thin mucus and accelerate its removal from the bronchi, tone and stimulate the reproductive system;
Tannins – narrow and strengthen the walls of blood vessels, create a thin protective film on the mucous membrane of the digestive tract after ingestion, and on the surface of the skin when applied externally;
Alkaloids are a group of volatile toxic compounds that, in small doses, stimulate the immune system, tone, relieve fever, relieve pain, lower blood pressure, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, stop bleeding and disinfect wounds;
Flavonoids are substances that prevent the destruction of valuable hyaluronic acid in the human body, and also stimulate metabolic processes, increase the elasticity of blood vessels, neutralize free radicals and prevent sclerotic damage to the circulatory system;
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for health, without which the normal functioning of the endocrine glands and the complete absorption of iron from food are impossible. Ascorbic acid is also an antioxidant, a cancer protector and an important element for maintaining the nervous system. Vitamin C deficiency has a detrimental effect on immunity and hematopoiesis;
Carotene is a substance necessary for good vision, strong bones and teeth, elastic skin and beautiful hair. A lack of carotene in the body results in early aging, slower protein synthesis, the development of cancer and a slower process of cellular regeneration;
Amino acids are the most important substances on which the quality of blood, hemoglobin level and the body’s ability to cleanse depend. The more valuable amino acids a person receives, the faster he gets rid of harmful components of food and air - pesticides, radionuclides, heavy metals;
Vegetable oils nourish and rejuvenate tissues, normalize metabolic processes, accelerate cellular regeneration, neutralize carcinogens and prevent the appearance of malignant tumors.

Thus, buttercup has many beneficial properties:

Tones;
Pain reliever;
Reduces temperature and pressure;
Disinfects;
Relaxes;
Kills fungus;
Protects against cancer;
Increases sweating;
Normalizes metabolic processes;
Strengthens the immune system.

All about herbs and more

General information
Family: Ranunculaceae family. Botanical name: Ranunculus. Pharmaceutical: Ranunculus - from the Latin word "rana" - and translates as "frog". This is explained by the fact that many representatives of the buttercup genus live in or near water. Generic name: - Folk names: In the common people, Buttercup was called Adonis, Fierce Color, Pryshchinets, night blindness Buttercup - fierce, poisonous, Dentarius - poisonous tooth, ram's tooth, Aryan's tooth (the Romans called the flower this way, since the Aryan-Germans were their enemies) Planet: - Sun, Mercury, Neptune Zodiac sign: - Leo Element: - water Language of flowers: -symbol of separation Main properties: - repels evil spirits Description: Buttercup is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its rhizome is quite short, about 0.5 and 2 cm. Roots extend from the rhizome, and they form dense lobes. The stem is approximately 20 - 90 cm. It is single, branched and erect. The lower stem and basal leaves are approximately 5-6 cm, and about 5 cm wide. They are rounded-pentagonal, and almost to the base, palmately dissected into 5 segments, which are cut quite deeply into sharp, solid and three-toothed lobules. The upper stem leaves are sessile, five-parted, as are the lower leaves into segments. The flower of the buttercup is about 1-2 cm in diameter and they are on rather long pedicels, they are regular and have a double perianth. The calyx of the flower consists of five ovoid sepals, which do not exceed 7 mm in length and 3 mm in width. The color has five petals that can be golden yellow, orange, white and even sometimes red. Petals can be from 0.7 and 1 cm. Buttercup has a lot of stamens, as well as pistils. The fruit is in the form of a spherical nut, and the nuts, in turn, are oblique, a couple of millimeters long. On the sides they are compressed and narrowly bordered, the nose is curved, bare and smooth. Places of growth: This flower grows almost all over the world - in Eastern, Southern Central Europe, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, Asia Minor and Western Asia, in the Alps and Pyrenees, etc., but most often in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, it blooms neither more nor less - 400 species. The most famous are: creeping L. (R. repens), poisonous L. (R. sceleratus), caustic L., or night blindness (R. acris), burning L., or pimple (R. flammula), L. multiflorum ( R. polyanthemus). We can find most types of buttercups in meadows, forests, clearings, along the banks of reservoirs and other wet places. Parts used: Most often, leaves, flowers, and fruits are used in buttercups.
But the root is practically useless. Another thing is that you need to collect all this very carefully, because... The plant is poisonous and it is better to avoid getting its harmful substances on your hands and eyes. Collection and preparation
First of all, we need to think about safety rules - after all, buttercup is poisonous, and we will have to handle it.
This means that you need to clearly know that it is better to pick buttercups with gloves on and immediately put them in a basket or somewhere else. The buttercup is harvested when its fruits are already formed, but the yellow flowers are still visible. You need to tear off, or even better, cut off the stem of the plant with scissors or a knife, carefully, trying not to uproot it - we don’t need it, and a new flower will grow in this place. Having collected the flowers, sort them out and wash them if possible, especially if you need buttercup flowers for medicinal purposes. Under no circumstances should you dry it in the sun! The sun will simply dry out the grass, and all its substances will evaporate, they will simply disappear. If you put it somewhere in the shade, all the substances will remain in the plant, and it will be suitable for the potion. It is not necessary to cut the buttercup, but it is better that the leaves are whole and the flowers too - because we will always have time to erase them into dust, but what if whole parts are needed?.. So, be careful and careful when preparing the buttercup. For magical purposes - collect in the third phase of Lena, at sunrise, according to dew. Gathering with the Sun in the sign of Leo and the Moon in the sign of Leo, or with the Sun in the sign of Taurus and the Moon in the sign of Gemini. Medicine:
Despite its toxicity, buttercup is quite popular in medicine, of course, in small doses. For example, protoanemonin, when applied topically, causes necrosis and irritation, while in small doses it stimulates the activity of the nervous system, increases the number of red blood cells, and increases the hemoglobin content in the blood. Also, it has fungistatic and antimicrobial effects. Antimicrobial against staphylococcus, E. coli and white mold. Still in small doses, buttercup has a tonic, analgesic, and wound-healing effect. Also, the flower is successfully used in the treatment of skin tuberculosis. Active substances: Buttercup leaves contain a very poisonous substance - protoanemonin.
This substance has a very negative effect on horses. This substance also has a pungent odor and pungent taste. If you happen to inhale the vapors of this substance, your airways and eyes will become irritated, a runny nose, suffocation, spasms of the laryngeal muscles and lacrimation will appear. Substances such as ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamin C, alkaloids, and saponins were also found in buttercup leaves. The fruits contain fatty oil. The flowers contain carotenoids, better known as carotene epoxide, xanthophyll epoxide, flavoxanthin, taraxanthin, chrysanthemumaxanthin. Traditional Medicine:
In folk medicine, buttercup is used quite often, again, in small doses.
Very often, the yellow flower was used for various skin diseases. Skin tuberculosis and scabies were treated with a decoction of buttercup. In addition, well-ground buttercup flowers and leaves were used instead of mustard plasters. But we should not forget that all these parts of the plant are poisonous. For example, you should avoid contact with wounds, cuts, and scratches. The use of buttercup for headaches and neuralgic pain, gout, and rheumatism was quite popular. It was also used to treat burns, wounds, and furunculosis - but this was in small doses. Magic:
In magic, buttercup is most often used for poison potions.
And this, of course, is all because of that very poisonous substance - protoanemonin. Buttercup is very convenient to use for poisoning, because if you put in enough of this flower, a person will instantly be poisoned and is unlikely to survive. Thus, a person who drinks or eats a large amount of buttercup is literally doomed. Buttercups are very unpretentious and grow almost everywhere, that is, getting a buttercup will not cause any problems. It is practically impossible to escape, and this is not comforting, but you can just be careful and not drink anything that came from the hands of people who arouse suspicion. Myths and Legends:
Buttercup grows where frogs live.
The goddess Leto (mother of Artemis and Apollo), running away from the serpent sent by Hera, could not find shelter for childbirth. Angry at the inhabitants of one village who did not even give her water, she turned them into frogs. And she settled them among the buttercups. Everyone remembers Shakespeare's immortal tragedy Romeo and Juliet. It was from the buttercup that the potion was prepared, which the pharmacist gave to Juliet so that she would fall into a sleep that was so similar to death. They say that in ancient times Satan tried to hide among the buttercups from the Archangel Michael. And this is precisely why the buttercup became so “evil”. Buttercup is the flower of the pagan god of Ancient Rus' - Perun, the patron saint of the Russian army. There is such a legend: “The daughter of a merchant, rich but greedy, really wanted to get married. Her father refused to marry her to his beloved, a decent but poor guy. In a fit of despair, the girl scattered her father’s gold coins, they sprouted and turned into buttercups.” There is even a belief that whoever finds a buttercup will bring wealth to him. Some people even specially plant buttercups in their garden so that wealth will come. Recipes, infusions, decoctions:
Buttercup helps well with heel spurs: Brew the herb with boiling water and boil for 10 minutes, then pour the entire contents into a basin and steam your feet until the water will cool down.
The herb of caustic buttercup in the form of a condensed infusion is used for lotions and compresses for skin tuberculosis. Infusion: 3 tbsp. tablespoons of the herb are infused for 3 hours in 0.5 liters of boiling water and used externally when warm. Umbilical hernia Prepare a tincture of white buttercup flowers (pour a handful of flowers into 0.5 liters of vodka and infuse). Take 1 tbsp. before eating. Buttercup extract has a bactericidal effect, activates the restoration and rejuvenation of skin cells. It can be used to wash your hair. Use in cooking:
Attention!! BUTTERCUPPS ARE POISONOUS! Therefore, consult your doctor first! Varieties of buttercups: Ranunculus acris L. - Acrid buttercup Ranunculus auricomus L. - Golden buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus L. - Bulbous buttercup Ranunculus cassubicus L. - Kashubian buttercup Ranunculus flammula L. - Burning buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii DC. — Gmelin’s buttercup Ranunculus illyricus L. — Illyrian buttercup Ranunculus lanuginosus L. — Woolly buttercup Ranunculus lingua L. — Long-leaved buttercup Ranunculus megacarpus W. Koch — Large-fruited buttercup Ranunculus monophyllus Ovcz. — Ranunculus nemorosus DC. — Buttercup Ranunculus oxyspermus Willd. — Buttercup Ranunculus pedatus Waldst. & Kit. — Stop-shaped buttercup Ranunculus polyanthemos L. — Multi-flowered buttercup Ranunculus polyphyllus Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd. — Ranunculus pronicus AK Skvortsov — Buttercup Ranunculus propinquus CA Mey. — Northern buttercup Ranunculus pseudoflaccidus Petunn. ex Sireisch. — Droopy buttercup Ranunculus radicans CA Mey. — Rooting buttercup Ranunculus repens L. — Creeping buttercup Ranunculus reptans L. — Creeping buttercup Ranunculus sardous Crantz — Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus L. — Poisonous buttercup Ranunculus stevenii Andrz. — Steven's Buttercup Ranunculus X levenensis Druce ex Gornall — Buttercup

Buttercup treatment

Traditional medicine is not particularly interested in buttercup, although it has been proven that this plant is one of the most effective remedies for skin tuberculosis. On pharmacy counters you will never find dried buttercup sold along with St. John's wort and chamomile, so if you want to try buttercup treatment, you will have to go to the nearest meadow to buy the raw materials yourself.

Doctors approach treatment with poisonous plants with understandable caution and skepticism, but this is not a reason to refuse consultation. Buttercup has serious contraindications; in addition, it is very important to choose the right dosage and type of medicinal raw material. Different parts of the plant have different healing effects, so the advice of an experienced herbalist or naturopathic doctor will definitely not hurt you.

Flowers

Infusions of ranunculus flowers are used primarily to stimulate the nervous system and improve blood quality. This remedy also disinfects and kills fungus well, so buttercup flowers are used to treat scabies, intestinal infections, Staphylococcus aureus and fungal skin lesions. From such raw materials you can make an excellent insecticide, with which you can easily clean your house of ticks, bedbugs and moths, or protect fruit crops in your garden from pests.

If you grind freshly picked ranunculus flowers into a pulp, you will get an analogue of mustard plaster and blister plaster. By applying this remedy to a boil or boil, you will speed up the maturation and release of pus. Mustard plasters made from ranunculus flowers burn much more strongly than usual, and you can keep them on your chest and back for no longer than fifteen minutes. You can rub the flowers on your aching joints or back, then they will act as a pain reliever. And for malaria, as we mentioned above, crushed ranunculus flowers are applied to the wrists and elbows to relieve attacks.

Rhizomes and tubers

The root system of buttercup has a very high concentration of toxic alkaloids, so treatment with this part of the plant must be approached very carefully. Powder from fresh tubers or roots is used to remove warts and disinfect purulent wounds. This raw material is also suitable for preparing alcoholic tinctures against cancer, but such things should be handled by an experienced herbalist who knows the exact dosage and understands the toxicity of the roots of different types of buttercup.

There is an ancient folk method for treating infertility, according to which the roots of buttercup should be peeled and inserted into the vagina at night in the middle of the cycle to stimulate sexual function and ensure successful conception. But it is obvious that this barbaric method of treatment can cause not long-awaited motherhood, but a burn of the vaginal mucosa.

Seeds

A decoction of buttercup seeds is used for colds as an expectorant and immune stimulant. In general, little is known about the treatment of buttercup seeds, and the most likely reason for the paucity of information is that they are difficult to collect in sufficient quantities, and there is no need to do this when there are flowers, leaves and stems that have the same properties.

Leaves and stems

The herbaceous part is the most popular type of raw material for buttercup treatment. It is from fresh and dried leaves and stems that decoctions and infusions are most often prepared against ulcers and boils, headaches and joint pain, colds and skin infections. Freshly squeezed buttercup juice works well against warts, mycoses and scabies.

If you have suffered a joint or soft tissue injury, hurry to apply crushed buttercup leaves to this area - this way you will avoid severe swelling and internal hemorrhage, and also relieve pain. A paste of buttercup leaves and stems prevents the formation of an unsightly bruise at the site of the injury if you apply it immediately and hold for 15 minutes.

Since ancient times, folk medicine has used a mixture of table vinegar and crushed buttercup leaves. This healing remedy helps with leprosy, eczema and baldness if regularly rubbed into the affected skin. But do not forget to wash off the drug after 10-15 minutes.

Planting and caring for buttercups

Planting: planting seeds for seedlings - in early March, planting seedlings in open ground - in mid-May.
Excavation: in August-September.
Storage: in a perforated paper bag at a temperature of 4-5 ˚C.
Flowering: June-August.
Lighting: bright light, partial shade.
Soil: neutral, fertile, drained and light, but not loamy.
Watering: moderate, regular.
Fertilizing: during the growth of green mass - once every 2 weeks with nitrogen fertilizers, and during the flowering period - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Reproduction: tubers, seeds.
Pests: cabbage butterflies, spider mites, nematodes.
Diseases: root rot, powdery mildew, gray rot.

Read more about growing buttercups below.

Buttercup ranunculus (lat. Ranunculus , from the word rana - frog) is a genus of herbaceous perennials of the Ranunculaceae family. Representatives of the genus are distinguished by their caustic sap, which makes all parts of the plant poisonous. The similarity of these plants with frogs is manifested in the fact that many types of buttercups in nature live in water or near bodies of water, like the mentioned amphibians. There are about 360 species of buttercups distributed in the world, growing in the Northern Hemisphere in areas with temperate and cold climates, but mainly the garden buttercup, or Asian buttercup, is grown in culture, its numerous varieties and varieties, which decorate our gardens with flowering in mid-summer for a month.

These products of the laborious work of breeders, stunning with their variety of colors and beauty of shape, no longer bear much resemblance to their wild relatives - creeping buttercup or field buttercup, which littered the crops of our ancestors. And all because in the middle of the 16th century, some species of this plant became interested in flower growers, and at the end of the seventeenth century, the buttercup plant, as well as its hybrids bred by that time, became as popular as tulips or carnations.

Pokonnik: cultivation and care in open ground

Infusion, tincture, ointment and buttercup juice

Oriental healers, Russian healers and northern shamans prepare medicines from buttercup. It is safe to say that this medicinal plant has been carefully studied for a long time. Treatment with buttercup is relevant for skin inflammations, pain syndromes of various etiologies, neuralgia and joint damage, colds and oncology. The main thing is to choose the right dosage form.

Water infusion

The most commonly used form is a water infusion, since making a decoction of buttercup is technically incorrect, because when boiled, most of the biologically active substances evaporate from it. You can boil the buttercup for a maximum of five minutes, but it’s better to just steam it with boiling water, wrap it and let it sit. The infusion time should not be too long; it is optimal to keep the raw material in the medicine for 30-60 minutes, and then filter thoroughly, since over a longer period too many toxic alkaloids will pass into it.

The classic recipe for buttercup infusion looks like this: a teaspoon of dry raw material is poured with half a liter of boiling water, kept warm for half an hour, filtered and used to disinfect wounds, eliminate parasites and fungi, or a tablespoon orally three times a day to treat internal diseases. You can also rinse your mouth with buttercup infusion for bleeding gums, gingivitis and periodontal disease - the inflammation will subside within a week.

Alcohol tincture

We will not provide a recipe for an alcohol tincture for the treatment of cancer here, since this is a dangerous and complex technique that requires a lot of experience and precision. But the external use of buttercup tincture is quite safe and useful for many diseases.

Take 50 fresh buttercup flowers, pour in half a liter of medical alcohol, seal the glass container tightly and keep the medicine in a cool, dark place for 21 days, shaking occasionally. Then filter and use for warm compresses, rubbing and disinfection of wounds.

Healing ointment

To prepare the ointment, take fresh buttercup flowers, grind them and mix with lard (pork fat) in a ratio of one to four. Store buttercup ointment in the refrigerator in a tightly closed glass jar.

This is an excellent remedy for colds - just rub buttercup ointment on your chest and back and wrap yourself in a warm scarf to relieve a cough and sleep peacefully throughout the night if you have bronchitis. You can apply this ointment to a sore throat, to inflamed lymph nodes, and to muscles chilled by a draft, but be sure to wrap the sore spot to enhance its healing effect.

Juice

Freshly squeezed buttercup juice can remove warts, as well as relieve painful toothache if a cotton wool soaked in it is briefly applied to the gum. Strongly diluted buttercup juice is used to treat cataracts at an early stage: to do this, you need to wipe the sore eyes 3-4 times a day.

Fresh buttercup juice is a very caustic substance that, with prolonged contact, causes burns of the skin or mucous membranes, ulceration or even necrosis of the epidermis.

Precautions when treating with buttercup

Do not forget that buttercup is a very poisonous plant, so it can only be treated after consulting a doctor. It is also important to follow the dosage exactly, since a substance that is beneficial in a small amount can cause irreparable harm in a large amount.

Symptoms of buttercup poisoning are as follows:

Sharp pain in the epigastrium;
Nausea and vomiting;
Loose stools;
Slowing or racing heart rate;
Excessive drooling;
Convulsions and tremors;
Loss of consciousness.

If there is a suspicion of buttercup poisoning, you need to follow simple steps as quickly as possible:

Call an ambulance;
Rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
Drink activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight.

Severe poisoning is caused by protoanemonin, a poisonous volatile alkaloid contained in buttercup. The danger is posed not only by the ingestion of a large dose of this alkaloid into the body, but also by prolonged exposure to the skin and mucous membranes. Injections of buttercup extract threaten tissue destruction and necrosis, so they are not currently done. Only the methods described above are relevant, and only the dosages mentioned, which must be strictly followed.

Buttercup poisoning of livestock

Livestock grazing in floodplain meadows are at risk of buttercup poisoning. If an animal eats a lot of poisonous grass, it will lose the ability to chew food and experience severe anxiety and excruciating abdominal pain. You can guess about poisoning by drooling, vomiting and diarrhea.

In severe cases, half an hour after eating the buttercup, the animal begins to convulse, it falls to the ground, its eyes roll, breathing is interrupted, and then the victim loses consciousness and dies. To protect your livestock from such a fate, you need to carefully inspect the pasture for the presence of poisonous plants (buttercup, celandine, aconite) before turning them out to graze.

Buttercup poisoning

poisoning

Buttercup poisoning of people is possible only if they violate the ban on taking folk remedies based on this drug internally. Animals are poisoned by buttercups more often, but deaths, as a rule, do not occur. The toxin that causes poisoning is a volatile oily liquid with a sharp, unpleasant taste and odor. When the herb is dried, it decomposes and becomes harmless. Therefore, poisoning of livestock is possible only in some cases - feeding hungry animals, harvesting green grass in swampy places, if buttercups are mixed with other herbs and are difficult to separate when eaten. Animals usually experience a chronic form of intoxication.

The toxin protoanemonin is highly irritating. When ingested, it causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. Inhalation of protoanemonin vapor leads to watery eyes, sore eyes, spasms in the throat, coughing and nasal discharge.

Signs of poisoning

Symptoms of poisoning by poisonous buttercup and other species of this plant will be the same, since they all contain the same active substance. If the plant juice gets on the skin, the following symptoms occur:

lacrimation

redness;
itching;
swelling;
inflammation in the form of blisters (urticaria);
sometimes boils.

When plant juice gets on the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, as well as when toxin vapors are inhaled (for example, in a freshly picked bouquet of wildflowers), the following develops:

lacrimation;
cough;
spasms of the larynx;
runny nose.

Severe damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes causes pain and can lead to temporary loss of vision (hence the popular name for buttercup - night blindness).

If the toxin enters the digestive tract, the following symptoms will occur:

stomach pain;
nausea;
vomit;
salivation;
diarrhea;
change in heart rate.

hand trembling

When significant doses of toxin enter the human body, signs of damage to the central nervous system appear:

muscle tremors;
convulsions;
disturbance of consciousness.

Buttercup poisoning in animals has been studied in more detail. Most often, cows and small cattle suffer from the consequences of eating poisonous grass, and less often, horses and rabbits. Signs of livestock poisoning by buttercups:

refusal of food;
lack of chewing gum;
stomach ache;
salivation;
severe anxiety.

Then diarrhea develops, the amount of urine produced increases, blood appears in it, and urination is painful. Trembling, convulsions, and rotational movements of the eyeballs appear. The animal falls and develops severe weakness. Death occurs from a sharp decline in cardiac activity. It should be noted here that cases of fatal poisoning of animals by buttercups are described only in foreign literature.

First aid for poisoning

As soon as the first signs of poisoning with caustic or poisonous buttercups appear, first aid must be provided to the victim. It is necessary to remove the toxic substance from the body as quickly as possible. In case of contact with skin or mucous membranes, the affected area should be washed with plenty of water and lubricated with an anti-burn agent, for example, Panthenol, Oxazol.

If toxins are ingested, it is necessary to rinse the stomach with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate or a 2% solution of baking soda, induce vomiting and seek medical help. If you experience severe pain in the mouth and stomach, you can hold small pieces of ice in your mouth and swallow them little by little.

Treatment

In case of poisoning by poisonous plants with buttercups, treatment consists of the following measures:

gastric lavage with an aqueous suspension of activated carbon;
the appointment of enveloping agents - mucous decoctions, egg whites, milk;
giving adsorbents inside, for example, “Smecta”.

Depending on the condition of the victim, the administration of painkillers, drug restoration of heart rhythm, and intravenous infusions of antitoxic agents (glucose, sodium hyposulfite) may be necessary. In case of kidney damage, appropriate treatment is carried out.