Daphne is a highly toxic shrub native to the deciduous forests of Eurasia and China. In early folk medicine, daphne was used, among other things, as a tincture for rheumatic complaints. In modern medicine, on the other hand, the shrub hardly plays a role anymore, since mere skin contact can already cause severe symptoms of poisoning.
Occurrence and cultivation of the daphne
Consumption of any part of the plant can even have fatal consequences, and mere skin contact already causes skin rashes. Daphne is a highly toxic genus of plants in the daphne family. In total, this genus includes over 70 different species. It is a deciduous and evergreen shrub or semi-shrub. Its bark varies between downy and glabrous and its flowers grow directly on the stem of the branches. The bark and seeds of daphne are the most poisonous parts of the plants. The consumption of any part of the plant can even have fatal consequences and the mere contact with the skin already causes skin rashes. The daphne is mainly distributed in Eurasia. Some varieties of the genus are also found in China. In the wild, daphne grows mainly in deciduous forests. In the meantime it can be found as an ornamental plant in gardens. However, it is not widely used as an ornamental plant because of its potentially lethal toxins. Unlike humans, some animals are immune to the plant’s toxins. This is true, for example, of the thrush, which can consume daphne without symptoms of poisoning. The plant is currently strictly protected in Germany and may not be taken from the wild.
Effect and application
Daphne plants played a role predominantly for the early history of paper development. Apart from that, daphne was long associated with superstition. For example, wagoners put consecrated daphne on their hats to keep witches away. The use of the plants in landscaping and medicine is only possible with restrictions. The reason for this is that daphne is highly toxic. For example, the bark of the plant contains daphnetoxin. This substance can cause severe symptoms of poisoning simply by being absorbed through the skin. The active substance eats away at the skin and often triggers severe inflammation at the site of contact. In extreme cases, the tissue dies and necrosis occurs. In the long term, severe damage to the kidneys often sets in, especially after the consumption of daphne. The cardiovascular system and the central nervous system can also be damaged by contact with the plant toxin daphnetoxin. Incidentally, the plant’s technical name is daphne, which explains the term daphnetoxin. The seeds of the saxifrage also contain the plant toxin mezerein. This substance has shown an antitumor effect in animal experiments. However, oral ingestion of this substance can cause a burning sensation in the throat and mouth in humans. Bloody diarrhea and vomiting may also occur as consequences of consumption. Possible effects also include swelling, a strong feeling of thirst, and even kidney failure in the case of long-term ingestion. Even the consumption of ten to twelve seeds of the sidelbast are fatal to humans. Five berries of the plant already produce strong and harmful effects. The consumption of ten berries is fatal for children. In addition to the poisonous effects and the healing effects due to ingredients such as flavonoids, pharmacology associates an aphrodisiac effect with the plant.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Because of its strong toxicity, daphne plays little role in modern medicine. Even homeopathy today uses daphne preparations only sporadically. Eczema and toothache are the most noteworthy indications in this context. Because of the high health risks, daphne should never be used on one’s own. Only explicitly prescribed finished preparations with highly diluted active ingredients of daphne are suitable for curative use. Homeopathy treats some disease patterns, for example, via ready-made and highly diluted daphne preparations from D4. The flavonoids contained in daphne are among its most beneficial constituents. In earlier folk medicine, a tincture was often made from daphne. This tincture was rubbed on rheumatic patients’ joints with acute complaints.The daphne drove the inflammation out of the joint, so to speak, by irritating the overlying skin with the active ingredients. However, this form of application is no longer appropriate today. In the meantime, considerably less toxic therapeutic options are available for rheumatic patients. In addition to its use for anti-rheumatic treatments, earlier folk medicine also applied the plant against heartburn. In this context, one blossom of daphne a year was relied upon as a preventive measure to provide relief from heartburn even for a whole year. In England, horse owners also used daphne to combat diarrhea in hoofed animals for a long time. In prehistoric times, daphne was predominantly popular as a homeopathic remedy. Apart from the toxic contraindications, the plant is therefore no longer important in this context in modern medicine, if only because private individuals are not allowed to collect it. The daphne is under strict nature protection and collecting it is punishable by fines. From one’s own daphne, a private person is theoretically allowed to harvest. However, this practice is not at all advisable and can cause lasting damage to health instead of healing effects.
