Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Can you give me some information about human exposure to Monkshood?
QUESTION:
I would like to find out what you know about human exposure to
Monkshood.
ANSWER:
One of the most dangerous of herbal medicine when taken internally or even
externally, in some cases. Powerful enough in dilute tinctures to cause pain
relief when applied topically to unbroken skin. Not used much anymore (except
when diluted out of existence by homeopathic
types...)
QUESTION:
We received a telephone call yesterday from the Illinois State Police
regarding a high school student who was caught with rolling papers and a
3 ½ x 3 ½ baggy filled with Monkshood.
Have you encountered a case like this before
now?
ANSWER:
No.
QUESTION:
Would Monkshood be more rapidly absorbed by the lungs than the digestive
tract, and would the health effects be more intense?
ANSWER:
I don't know, but given the low dosage required to to kill (3-6mg) and the
possibility of intact alkaloid being carried on smoke particles, I would be
worried!
This stuff grows wild in profusion in much of the Rockies (native plant, valued
by many for its beauty, although it, along with its frequent companion, the tall
larkspur, kills a lot of livestock...), so it could never be a controlled
substance in any sense, but whoever is processing it and selling it to kids is
sure overdue for an attitude adjustment of the legal kind...