Gelsemium is an Asian and North American genus of flowering plants belonging to family Gelsemiaceae. The genus contains three species of shrubs to straggling or twining climbers. Two species are native to North America, and one to China and Southeast Asia.[2]
Carl Linnaeus first classified G. sempervirens as Bignonia sempervirens in 1753; Antoine Laurent de Jussieu created a new genus for this species in 1789. Gelsemium is a Latinized form of the Italian word for jasmine, gelsomino. G. elegans has the common name"heartbreak grass".[3]
The active components of gelsemium are the alkaloids, which are present in a concentration of about 0.5%. These consist primarily of gelsemine (a highly toxic compound related to strychnine), with lesser amounts of related compounds (gelsemicine, gelsedine, etc). Other compounds found in the plant include scopoletin (also called gelsemic acid), a small amount of volatile oil, fatty acid and tannins.[4]
Gelsemium has been shown to contain methoxyindoles.[5][6]
Medicinal uses
As late as 1906, a drug called Gelsemium, made from the rhizome and rootlets of Gelsemium sempervirens, was used in the treatment of facial and other neuralgias. It also proved valuable in some cases of malarial fever, and was occasionally used as a cardiac depressant and in spasmodic affections, but was inferior for this purpose to other remedies.[7]
Native to southeastern and south-central United States from Virginia to Texas and south through Mexico to Central America
It is commonly grown as a garden flower worldwide
Alleged poisoning victims
On 23 December 2011, Long Liyuan, a Chinese billionaire, died after eating cat stew that was allegedly poisoned with Gelsemium elegans.[8][9]
On 10 November 2012, Alexander Perepilichny died outside his UK home, after warning of Kremlin death threats he received related to the Magnitsky affair. A lawyer for the deceased's life insurance company told a pre-inquest hearing that toxicology reports had identified traces of Gelsemium in his body.[10][11] However, this was later denied by an expert at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, the Police and coroner concluded that he died of natural causes.[12]
Symptoms of poisoning
The poison affects the vision and respiration.[13] Symptoms can appear almost immediately.[14]
Arthur Conan Doyle's experiment
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories, once administered himself a small amount of gelsemium and kept increasing the amount every day until he could no longer stand the ill effects. In a letter written by him to the British Medical Journal on 20 September 1879, he described that he had persistent diarrhea, severe frontal headache, and great depression, and therefore stopped his self-experimentation at 200 minims.[15][16][17]
A rare case of Gelsemium addiction
In his classic early 20th century work on psychotropic drugs Phantastica, German pharmacologist Louis Lewin recounts the curious and tragic case - seemingly unique in the literature - of an individual who became addicted (in a manner far more often associated with opiates) to a Gelsemium preparation:
during a severe attack of rheumatism a man took a large quantity of an alcoholic tincture of Gelsemium sempervirens a plant which is liable to act on the brain and the medulla oblongata. Noticing an appreciable result he continued to take it, and finally became a slave to the drug. He gradually augmented the quantity, and reached 30 gr. of the tincture in one dose. Slowly he became pale, agitated, and discontented. He wasted away. Hallucination set in, and his state grew worse until disorders of the intelligence appeared. As he continued to increase the doses he fell into idiocy and died in a state of mental confusion.[18]
References
^1897 illustration from Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
^ abOrnduff, R (1970). "The systematics and breeding system of Gelsemium (Loganiceae)". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 51 (1): 1–17. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.7036. includes description, drawings, distribution map, etc.
^Lewis, Leo (2012-01-04). "A purrfect murder? Tycoon killed by poisoned cat stew". The Times. Retrieved 2012-01-04. ...the fatal dose of Gelsemium elegans, a highly poisonous plant known as 'heartbreak grass'
^Wenkert, Ernest (1962). "Gelsedine1". The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 27 (12): 4123–4126. doi:10.1021/jo01059a001.
^Przybylska, M. (1962). "The crystal structure of (−)-N-methyl-gelsemicine hydriodide". Acta Crystallographica. 15 (4): 301–309. doi:10.1107/S0365110X6200078X.
^"China tycoon "ate poisoned cat-meat stew"". BBC News. 4 January 2012.
^. Time. 3 January 2012. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. [...] is suspected of poisoning the hotpot with the herb Gelsemium elegans, according to a statement on the microblog of the investigating police.
^"Russian whistleblower had traces of rare poison in stomach, plant expert says". The Guardian. London, UK.
^"Alexander Perepilichny: Rare Chinese poison found in stomach of Russian whistleblower". ABC News. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
^"[Alexander Perepilichnyy: The questions raised by Russian whistleblower inquest]". BBC News.
^"Gelsemium". Botanical.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
^Devlin, Hannah (18 May 2015). "Gelsemium: the plant that can cause convulsions, paralysis and asphyxia". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
^Doyle, Arthur Conan (1986). Gibson, J.M.; Green, R.L. (eds.). Letters to the Press. University of Iowa Press.
^Doyle, Arthur Conan (20 September 1879). "Arthur Conan Doyle takes it to the limit". British Medical Journal. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
^Doyle, Arthur Conan (20 September 1879). "Letters, Notes, and Answers to Correspondents". British Medical Journal. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
^Lewin L. Phantastica. Die betäubenden und erregenden Genussmittel. Für Ärzte und Nichtärzte (trans. Phantastica: Narcotic and Stimulating Drugs. For Doctors and Non-doctors) Berlin: Verlag von Georg Stilke, 1924.
Further reading
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gelsemium" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 559. This contains a detailed description of the then-common usage and dosage of the drug.
January 23, 2023
gelsemium, asian, north, american, genus, flowering, plants, belonging, family, gelsemiaceae, genus, contains, three, species, shrubs, straggling, twining, climbers, species, native, north, america, china, southeast, asia, sempervirens, scientific, classificat. Gelsemium is an Asian and North American genus of flowering plants belonging to family Gelsemiaceae The genus contains three species of shrubs to straggling or twining climbers Two species are native to North America and one to China and Southeast Asia 2 GelsemiumGelsemium sempervirens 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder GentianalesFamily GelsemiaceaeGenus GelsemiumJuss Synonyms 2 Jeffersonia Brick 1800 not Barton 1793 Medicia Gardn amp Champ Leptopteris Blume 1850 not C Presl 1845Carl Linnaeus first classified G sempervirens as Bignonia sempervirens in 1753 Antoine Laurent de Jussieu created a new genus for this species in 1789 Gelsemium is a Latinized form of the Italian word for jasmine gelsomino G elegans has the common name heartbreak grass 3 Contents 1 Properties 1 1 Active components 1 2 Medicinal uses 2 Species 3 Alleged poisoning victims 4 Symptoms of poisoning 4 1 Arthur Conan Doyle s experiment 4 2 A rare case of Gelsemium addiction 5 References 6 Further readingProperties EditAll three species of this genus are poisonous Active components Edit The active components of gelsemium are the alkaloids which are present in a concentration of about 0 5 These consist primarily of gelsemine a highly toxic compound related to strychnine with lesser amounts of related compounds gelsemicine gelsedine etc Other compounds found in the plant include scopoletin also called gelsemic acid a small amount of volatile oil fatty acid and tannins 4 Gelsemium has been shown to contain methoxyindoles 5 6 Medicinal uses Edit As late as 1906 a drug called Gelsemium made from the rhizome and rootlets of Gelsemium sempervirens was used in the treatment of facial and other neuralgias It also proved valuable in some cases of malarial fever and was occasionally used as a cardiac depressant and in spasmodic affections but was inferior for this purpose to other remedies 7 Species EditSpecies Common names Areal Characteristics ImageGelsemium elegans Heartbreak grass Native to India Indonesia Laos Malaysia northern Myanmar Taiwan northern Thailand Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Fujian Guangdong Guangxi Guizhou Hainan Hunan Jiangxi Yunnan and Zhejiang Twining climber found in scrubby forests and thickets from 200 2000 meters elevation Gelsemium rankinii Rankin s jessamine swamp jessamine Rankin s trumpetflower Native to southeastern United States Gelsemium sempervirens Yellow jessamine Carolina jessamine evening trumpetflower Native to southeastern and south central United States from Virginia to Texas and south through Mexico to Central America It is commonly grown as a garden flower worldwide Alleged poisoning victims EditOn 23 December 2011 Long Liyuan a Chinese billionaire died after eating cat stew that was allegedly poisoned with Gelsemium elegans 8 9 On 10 November 2012 Alexander Perepilichny died outside his UK home after warning of Kremlin death threats he received related to the Magnitsky affair A lawyer for the deceased s life insurance company told a pre inquest hearing that toxicology reports had identified traces of Gelsemium in his body 10 11 However this was later denied by an expert at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew the Police and coroner concluded that he died of natural causes 12 Symptoms of poisoning EditThe poison affects the vision and respiration 13 Symptoms can appear almost immediately 14 Arthur Conan Doyle s experiment Edit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories once administered himself a small amount of gelsemium and kept increasing the amount every day until he could no longer stand the ill effects In a letter written by him to the British Medical Journal on 20 September 1879 he described that he had persistent diarrhea severe frontal headache and great depression and therefore stopped his self experimentation at 200 minims 15 16 17 A rare case of Gelsemium addiction Edit In his classic early 20th century work on psychotropic drugs Phantastica German pharmacologist Louis Lewin recounts the curious and tragic case seemingly unique in the literature of an individual who became addicted in a manner far more often associated with opiates to a Gelsemium preparation during a severe attack of rheumatism a man took a large quantity of an alcoholic tincture of Gelsemium sempervirens a plant which is liable to act on the brain and the medulla oblongata Noticing an appreciable result he continued to take it and finally became a slave to the drug He gradually augmented the quantity and reached 30 gr of the tincture in one dose Slowly he became pale agitated and discontented He wasted away Hallucination set in and his state grew worse until disorders of the intelligence appeared As he continued to increase the doses he fell into idiocy and died in a state of mental confusion 18 References Edit 1897 illustration from Franz Eugen Kohler Kohler s Medizinal Pflanzen a b Ornduff R 1970 The systematics and breeding system of Gelsemium Loganiceae Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 51 1 1 17 doi 10 5962 bhl part 7036 includes description drawings distribution map etc Lewis Leo 2012 01 04 A purrfect murder Tycoon killed by poisoned cat stew The Times Retrieved 2012 01 04 the fatal dose of Gelsemium elegans a highly poisonous plant known as heartbreak grass Drugs Gelsemium Wenkert Ernest 1962 Gelsedine1 The Journal of Organic Chemistry 27 12 4123 4126 doi 10 1021 jo01059a001 Przybylska M 1962 The crystal structure of N methyl gelsemicine hydriodide Acta Crystallographica 15 4 301 309 doi 10 1107 S0365110X6200078X Gilman D C Peck H T Colby F M eds 1906 Gelsemium New International Encyclopedia 1st ed New York Dodd Mead China tycoon ate poisoned cat meat stew BBC News 4 January 2012 Police Poisoned cat meat killed China tycoon Time 3 January 2012 Archived from the original on 9 February 2012 is suspected of poisoning the hotpot with the herb Gelsemium elegans according to a statement on the microblog of the investigating police Russian whistleblower had traces of rare poison in stomach plant expert says The Guardian London UK Alexander Perepilichny Rare Chinese poison found in stomach of Russian whistleblower ABC News 20 May 2015 Retrieved 2 June 2015 Alexander Perepilichnyy The questions raised by Russian whistleblower inquest BBC News Gelsemium Botanical com Retrieved 2 June 2015 Devlin Hannah 18 May 2015 Gelsemium the plant that can cause convulsions paralysis and asphyxia The Guardian Retrieved 2 June 2015 Doyle Arthur Conan 1986 Gibson J M Green R L eds Letters to the Press University of Iowa Press Doyle Arthur Conan 20 September 1879 Arthur Conan Doyle takes it to the limit British Medical Journal BMJ Publishing Group Ltd Retrieved 2 February 2014 Doyle Arthur Conan 20 September 1879 Letters Notes and Answers to Correspondents British Medical Journal BMJ Publishing Group Ltd Retrieved 2 February 2014 Lewin L Phantastica Die betaubenden und erregenden Genussmittel Fur Arzte und Nichtarzte trans Phantastica Narcotic and Stimulating Drugs For Doctors and Non doctors Berlin Verlag von Georg Stilke 1924 Further reading EditChisholm Hugh ed 1911 Gelsemium Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 11 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 559 This contains a detailed description of the then common usage and dosage of the drug Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gelsemium amp oldid 1126672384, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
