GIANT MILKWEED - VERY TOXIC - Avoid oral use?

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon, & All,

 

> Hi all, I've been doing some " Field Research " on Danaicao ...

thought

> you might be interested in some of my results! I've posted it

on my

> blog. Can an herb actually improve a patient´s luck? Sharon

 

Sharon, I would be very wary of giving Giant Milkweed orally!

 

If people believe that it brings luck, I would advise them to

wear it externally in a locket rather

than to take it internally!

 

See below:

 

(1) DAINAICAO: Contrary to what its Chinese characters

suggest, Danaicao is NOT " Giant Milk Weed " . It is

Euphorbia hirta / Centipede euphorbia, better known in

Chinese as Dafeiyang / Dafeiyangcao ;

 

Re Euphorbia hirta / Centipede euphorbia, using the Chinese

characters, I found nothing on medicinal uses of

(Danaicao) on WWW; However, there are a few Chinese hits

on its synonym (Feiyangcao) or

(Dafeiyangcao) at http://tinyurl.com/yhn34aa

 

The most detailed Google Translation is at

http://tinyurl.com/yjdn75w - if you copy that into Wenlin, you

can get a better translation. Another useful Google translation

is at http://tinyurl.com/ygwdfmy - if you copy that into Wenlin,

you can get a better translation.

 

(2) Re GIANT MILKWEED [Calotropis gigantea / procera /

Asclepias gigantea / Madorius giganteus / Periploca

cochinchinensis / Streptocaulon cochinchinensis - Niujiaogua

; Baihuaniujiaogua ] there are hits in

Chinese at http://tinyurl.com/yfq2vk5

 

There are several hits in English at http://tinyurl.com/ykwokmd

 

See especially http://tinyurl.com/yglthe2 - prolonged use of

high doses induced definite testicular damage in rats.

However,intro also said: " Jain et al (1996) reported that

Calotropis procera was used in traditional medicine as a

purgative, anthelmintic, anticancer as well as to treat

leucoderma, ulcers, piles and disease of the spleen. Saha et

a/ (1961) described the plant to be an abortifacient while Malhi

and Trivedi (1972) observed it to be an antifertility agent. Hilal

and Youngken (1983) observed that calotropis procera has

uterine stimulating effect while Prakash et al (1978) showed

that it has embryotoxic effects. Edman (1983), Al-Robai et al

(1993a) and Hussein et al (1994) reported the presence of

alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides as well as sterols and

uscharin in the entire part of the plant, Calotropis procera. "

 

See also:

http://www.payer.de/ayurveda/pflanzen/calotropis_gigantea.ht

m and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calotropis

 

WWW Data, especially tinyurl.com/yhk68gk and

http://tinyurl.com/yfon7dh says:

 

Calotropis gigantea; Asclepias gigantea; Madorius giganteus;

Periploca cochinchinensis; Streptocaulon cochinchinensis =

Niujiaogua ; Yangjinshu ; Duanchangcao ;

Baihuaniujiaogua / Lingbaihuaniujiaogua

[Calotropis procera] is a related plant;

 

Giant Calotrope, Giant Milkweed, Holy Milk Hedge; Crown

Flower; Crownplant, King's Crown, Gigantic Swallow Root,

Gigantic Swallow-Wort, Swallow Wort; Rubber Bush, Sodom

Apple, Mudar, Madar, Roostertree; Arka (red Fl), Alarka (white

Fl); Ashkar; Oshar; Oshur; Ushar; Madar; Yercum;

 

it is erect, branched herb / subshrub; common in waste places;

can grow to >2m tall;

 

parts used: MILKY SAP + aerial parts (Fl, Fm, Cx) but also Rx,

Cx-Rx; Fl is white red / purple; Acrid;

 

Cool; TOXIC~ extremely [has many potent cardiac glycosides];

all parts are TOXIC orally; NOT for internal use; high doses

can kill; SAP forced down throat has been used in infanticide; 1

dram (3.7ml; say 4ml) of SAP will cause a dog to foam at

mouth + die in 15 minutes; SAP is caustic + irritant on skin;

may cause swelling + ulceration; it is ipecacuanha-like in many

of its actions + uses; as Topical: qs;

 

Bitter; Enters LU;

 

ACTIONS: Emetic; Analgesic; Make Sweat; Release Toxin;

Attack Toxin + Vermicide + Ease Itch; Vermifuge; Tonic;

Aphrodisiac; Tx various skin tinea + papillomas; Rx, Cx +

inspissated SAP are powerful alteratives + purgatives;

 

when cut, every part of Hb leaks MILKY SAP / latex

( " vegetable mercury " ); internally, SAP is drastic purgative +

emetic; it has bitter principle, calotropin (or gigantin), a

cardiotoxic glycoside, used as poison on arrows + for

homicide, suicide + fish poison; it has 4 other glycosides,

calactin, calotoxin, fuscharin + uscharidin, also a powerful

bacteriolytic enzyme like papain; SAP may serve as a

depilatory; Dried, SAP is smoked to Ease Asthma; SAP mixed

w salt is used as Topical in toothache dt caries; wounds;

aphthae, skin diseases; sores / ulcers; very good in leprosy,

lues, taenia, herpes, dropsy, rheumatism, fever~ hectic +

intermittent, typhus fever, syphilis; Arka Taila oil to Tx eczema

+ other eruptive skin diseases: Prep Sesame oil 4 seers, Arka

Fm SAP 16 seers, Turmeric (/ use Orpiment instead) reduced

to a paste 1 seer ; boil together + discard dregs; SAP of young

buds in ear-ache; SAP of Bawangbian (Euphorbia neriifolia) +

C gigantea + Berberis asiatica wood powder is made into plugs

for insertion into anus sinuses + fistula; used orally as

purgative w MILKY SAP of Bawangbian;

 

Fm mixed w food can poison humans + high doses can poison

cattle cattle; In India, a handful of Fm is crushed + given orally

to cattle to make them more alert + active; Fm moistened w oil

+ warmed as dry fomentation for abdomen pain / rubefacient;

Fm poultice for sepsis / abscesses; Fm mixed w rock salt,

roasted in closed vessels, so that fumes may not escape;

ashes thus produced are given w whey in ascites +

enlargements of abdominal viscera;

 

Fl: Digestive, Aid ST, Tonic; Ease Cough; Fl essence to boost

courage; Tx cough, asthma, appetite loss + Phlegm;

 

Mudar Tincture: Rx powder is macerated in cold rectified spirit;

spirit is recovered by distillation + solution is allowed to cool;

granular resin is deposited + dried; Mudarine congeals in heat

+ becomes fluid again on exposure to cold; If water is added,

coloured solution from which resin was deposited dissolves +

resin remains; This solution is called Mudarine (Bitter~ very;

soluble in alcohol + cold water, but insoluble in sulphuric ether /

olive-oil); paste of Rx powder is very good as Topical for sores

/ ulcers~ chronic;

 

Cx-Rx is Emetic; Generate Fluids / Increase Secretions; skin

diseases, abdomen visceral (LV, SP, etc) enlargement; SI-LI

worms, cough, ascites, anasarca, etc; paste of Cx-Rx + sour

congee, is applied to elephantiasis of legs + scrotum; as

Inhalation for cough / asthma: soak Arka Cx-Rx powder in its

own MILKY SAP + then dry it + make bougies / cigarettes w it;

inhale fumes;

 

Cx powder orally in doses of 5-6 grains (300-360mg) BID can

produce nausea + vomiting but a dose of castor-oil clears

those SSs; paste of Cx as Topical in neurodermatitis + syphilis;

 

USES: hysteria, cramps / convulsions, epilepsy, paralysis,

fever, gout; cough, asthma, dyspnoea, pain, skin diseases, esp

leprosy; Worms; bites of poisonous animals, snake bite;

scorpion stings; cowardice / courage~ loss

 

Akinloye, AK, Abatan, MO, Alaka OO & 'Oke, BO (2002)

Histomorphometric and histopathological studies on the effect

of Calotropis procera (Giant Milkweed) on male reproductive

organs of Wistar rats; African Journal of Biomedical; Research

Vol 5; 57-61 concluded that high doses (20g/kg for varying

number of days) of Calotropis procera damaged testes +

accessory sex organs of rats.

 

NOTE: Bawangbian (Euphorbia neriifolia / cristata) has

many synonyms, incl: Chousong ; Chunyangcao ;

Huohong ; Huowang ; Huoxiang ; Huoyan ;

Huoyangle ; Huoyangle ; Jiazhutaoqilin

; Jingangshu ; Jingangzuan ; Linjiao ;

Longgucao ; Longguci ; Meizedaji ;

Qilinjiao ; Qilinzhang ; Rouqilin ;

Wulengjingang ; Xiaoqinglong ; Yangbu'ai

; Yangbukai ; Yangya ; Yuanjingang

 

Best regards,