Is the white spider lily (Lycoris radiata var. alba) poisonous? The latest answer is here
The white spider lily's scientific name is Lycoris radiata var. alba, and it is often recorded in Buddhist scriptures. It is also known as dragon claw flower, old crow garlic, spider lily, meaningless grass, garlic-head grass, ghost flower, hell flower, forsaken flower, flower of life and death, mountain poison, thunder from level ground, flower of heaven, etc. It belongs to the same family and genus as the red spider lily. Now let's take a look together at whether the white spider lily is poisonous!
Is the white spider lily poisonous?
The white spider lily is poisonous. The toxicity of this plant is found in almost every part of its body, with the fruit, especially the seeds, being the most toxic, followed by the young leaves; dried leaves are less toxic than fresh leaves, and in severe cases it may cause death. Its main components are hyoscyamine, scopolamine and a small amount of atropine, and the main component responsible for the anesthetic effect is scopolamine.
Symptoms of white spider lily poisoning
The main toxic component of the white spider lily is hyoscyamine. After accidental ingestion, the incubation period for poisoning is 20 minutes to 3 hours, generally about 1 hour. The initial symptoms are thirst and dry tongue, hoarse voice, dry skin and facial flushing, followed by dilated pupils, blurred vision, double vision, hallucinations and dizziness. In severe cases, there is increased heart rate, restlessness, inability to control one's behavior, manic speech and conduct, inappropriate laughing and crying, incoherent speech and answers unrelated to the questions asked. Some patients experience delirium, convulsions, seizures and coma, and may die from respiratory failure.
What to do about white spider lily poisoning
1. After poisoning, try to gain time for rescue. Generally, first induce vomiting by touching the throat, or give 0.5 grams of copper sulfate each time dissolved in 100-250 milliliters of water. Then use 1:5000 potassium permanganate, or 2%-4% tannic acid, or strong tea to wash the stomach so as to precipitate the alkaloids, and use magnesium sulfate or sodium sulfate as a purgative.
2. Drink a large amount of sugar water, take egg white or medicinal charcoal solution to precipitate the alkaloids, absorb the toxins and protect the mucous membranes, and give intravenous fluids to promote the excretion of the poison.
3. Symptomatic treatment
① If there is a drop in blood pressure and cold limbs, stimulants such as caffeine should be given.
② If there is difficulty breathing, use the parasympathetic stimulant pilocarpine 5-10 milliliters by subcutaneous injection, once every 15 minutes, until the above symptoms disappear; ephedrine can also be used as an antidote.
③ If the pupils are dilated, pilocarpine eye drops can be used, and physostigmine salicylate eye drops can also be used.
④ For restlessness or spasms, give sedatives such as diazepam, chlorpromazine and chloral hydrate; for infection give antibiotics; for heart failure give ATP, coenzyme A and hormones. For coma, use a small amount of dehydrating agent to prevent brain edema. If necessary, give respiratory stimulants, oxygen and artificial respiration.
⑤ If the body temperature is too high, a cold water bath and other physical cooling methods can be used, and antipyretics may be used as appropriate. If necessary, use liquid paraffin drops in the eyes and nasal cavity to keep them moist.