It used to be the king of ancient poison, but farmers used it to feed pigs to make a fortune.

China is rich in vegetation resources, and there are countless kinds of trees, flowers and plants on the alpine plain. Among them, most of the plants are mild and harmless, while a small number of plants have become famous "poisonous weeds" in history because they contain violent toxic substances. One of the most famous is a plant with yellow flowers. It is said that Shennong was the last poisonous weed he ate when he tasted a hundred herbs. He died after eating one of its leaves, so the ancients called it "heartbroken grass". Its toxicity is comparable to arsenic, and it is easy to pick. It was once the "king of poison" in ancient times.

Although it is very toxic, its name is very beautiful. It is called "Hook Kiss". But don't be fooled by the name, if you really "kiss" it, your life may be "hooked" by it, because it is a "snake and scorpion beauty". Hook Kou has bright yellow flowers in the shape of honeysuckle, flowering from May to November, which coincides with the flowering time of honeysuckle. Some people who don't know about it once mistook it for honeysuckle to pick home and boil water to drink, which eventually led to poisoning and hospitalization, overdose and even death. In fact, it has been recorded in detail in many medical books in ancient China, among which it has been mentioned many times in the Compendium of Materia Medica.

It is recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica: "(hook kiss) close incense, burn it, make people coma." After burning the smoke from the hook kiss, smelling it will cause poisoning and coma, which shows that it is highly toxic. In addition, the pollen of Gelsemium is also toxic, so it is recommended not to smell it if you see it in the wild. In modern research and analysis, it is found that Gelsemium is highly toxic because it contains a variety of alkaloids, which will destroy the digestion, blood circulation and respiratory system of the human body. Generally speaking, eating 10 tender leaves will cause a relatively strong toxic reaction, so if you see it in the wild, don't think it's good-looking, pick it. If you accidentally eat it, go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Although Gelsemium is poisonous, it is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine with the main efficacy of killing insects and relieving itching, breaking accumulation and removing toxic. it is often used as external medicine in ancient times to treat skin diseases and arthritis. Because of its high toxicity, it is rarely used today, but in the south, it has a special use, that is, to feed livestock and poultry. It not only has the effect of deworming with pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens and other animals, but also can increase the appetite of animals and promote them to gain weight. Therefore, farmers in the coastal areas of South China love it very much, and Gelsemium will be added to pig farms according to a certain proportion (no more than 0.2%), which can greatly increase the weight gain rate of animals and save feed at the same time.

This practice also existed in ancient times, and it was recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica: "those who eat its leaves by mistake die, while those who eat sheep eat them are fat." As a result, many farmers have saved a lot of costs in raising pigs and sheep and made a fortune on it, so local farmers also call it "pig ginseng". Friends, do you know this beautiful "hook kiss"?