Mind-altering and poisonous plants of the world / Michael Wink, Ben-Erik van Wyk.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wink, Michael.

Contributor:

Van Wyk, Ben-Erik.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Poisonous plants.

Psychotropic plants.

Physical Description:

464 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Portland, Or. : Timber Press, 2008.

Summary:

Since Ancient Times, mind-altering and poisonous plants have been used for hunting, murder, and magic. Most cultures of the world have learned to avoid these plants or to use them with discretion. Many of the plants are still widely used as traditional medicine for their therapeutic value in the treatment of diseases. Others are popular as recreational drugs or for ceremonial and spiritual purposes.

This guide gives the reader a bird's-eye view of all the famous and well-known mind-altering and poisonous plants of the world. The book is presented as a compact, colorful, and scientifically accurate reference text. It covers more than 1200 of the most important plants that people are likely to be exposed to. More than 200 are treated in depth in short monographs, covering their diagnostic characters, region of origin and distribution, active ingredients, toxicity, symptoms of intoxication, and possible modes of action. Each monograph provides information on first aid treatment. A special focus is on psychoactive plants, which can have stimulant, sedative, hypnotic, narcotic, or hallucinogenic properties, such as coca, opium, cannabis, and scopolamine. This book is a must for gardeners, farmers, veterinarians, students, botanists, pharmacists, chemists, doctors, and poison control centers.

Contents:

What are toxins and toxic plants? 7

What are mind-altering substances and psychoactive plants? 10

Why do poisons and mind-altering substances exist in nature? 12

Occurrence of toxins and mind-altering substances in nature 14

Poisonous and mind-altering plants in human history - murder, magic and medicine 17

Murder and Magic 18

Mind-altering plants of the Old World 19

Mind-altering plants of the New World 22

Early medicine 24

Importance of poisonous plants in modern life 25

Plants that affect the skin 26

Statistics of plant poisoning 26

Animal poisoning 29

First aid treatment 30

Diagnosis 30

Therapy 32

First aid - removal of toxins 32

Clinical therapy 33

Methods of testing for toxicity in humans 35

Plants in alphabetical order 36

Structure of monographs 37

Toxins 241

How do poisons and mind-altering substances function? 242

Molecular modes of action 242

How do neurotoxins and mind-altering substances work? 250

Main classes of toxins and psychoactive compounds 252

Secondary metabolites with nitrogen 252

Aconitine, protoveratrine B and related terpene alkaloids 252

Bufotenin, tryptamines and tyramines 255

Caffeine and other purine alkaloids 257

Cytisine and related quinolizidine alkaloids 258

Colchicine and related alkaloids 260

Ephedrine, cathinone and mescaline 262

Ergot alkaloids 263

Hyoscyamine, cocaine and other tropane alkaloids 265

Indole alkaloids 267

Isoquinoline alkaloids 270

Lycopodium alkaloids 274

Lycorine and other Amaryllidaceae alkaloids 275

Morphine and other morphinane alkaloids 277

Pyrrolidine and piperidine alkaloids 279

Quinoline alkaloids 281

Senecionine and related pyrrolizidine alkaloids 283

Solanine and other steroid alkaloids 285

Amygdalin, other cyanogenic glucosides and HCN 287

Mustard oils/ glucosinolates 289

Non-protein amino acids (NPAAs) 291

Abrin, ricin other lectins and peptides 294

Secondary metabolites without nitrogen 295

Phenolics

Flavonoids, isoflavones, alkyl phenols, tannins, lignans and other phenolics 295

Coumarins and furanocoumarins 301

Myristicin and other phenylpropanoids 304

Quinones

Hydroquinones and naphthoquinones 306

Anthraquinones and naphthodianthrones 308

Polyacetylenes 310

Terpenoids

Monoterpenes 312

Terpenes and phenylpropanoids with aldehyde groups 315

Sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene lactones 317

Diterpenes: Phorbol ester 320

Andromedotoxin or grayanotoxin I 322

Steroids and triterpenes: Cardiac glycosides 324

Cucurbitacin E and related triterpenes 327

Saponins 329

Small reactive metabolites

Ethanol 332

Oxalic acid, oxalates and other organic acids 334

Protoanemonin, tulipalin and parasorbic acid 336

Quick Guide to poisonous plants, mind-altering plants and fungi 338.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 433-435) and index.

ISBN:

9780881929522

0881929522

OCLC:

226356851