The picture shows Gelsemium elegans, with large, glossy leaves. Photo materials
The picture shows Honeysuckle, with dull, rough-surfaced leaves.
On July 8th, 6-year-old A Xian (pseudonym) from Heng County was able to eat some congee, but he still experienced limb weakness. It was the 4th day of his treatment at Heng County People's Hospital after being poisoned by drinking a cooling herbal tea made with Gelsemium elegans. A medical expert stated that if poisoned by Gelsemium elegans, one can use water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) as an antidote. Six-year-old child mistakenly eats Gelsemium elegans
On the afternoon of July 5th, after school, A Xian came home tired and thirsty. He and his teenage cousin brewed a cooling tea with tea leaves. As soon as the tea was ready, he eagerly drank a cup. Two or three minutes after drinking, he couldn't see clearly and felt dizzy. His grandmother, who had just returned from outside, saw that the Gelsemium elegans drying in a basket was gone and suspected her grandson had been poisoned. She immediately carried him to the emergency room of Heng County People's Hospital, a process that took only 5 minutes.
It turned out that the Gelsemium elegans was picked by his grandmother from a nearby mountain to feed the chickens. It is a folk practice to use a small amount of Gelsemium elegans to clear heat and detoxify livestock. However, A Xian and his cousin did not recognize the plant and mistakenly mixed it with the tea leaves to brew.
On July 8th, Director Qin, the pediatrician treating A Xian, said: "Gelsemium elegans contains highly toxic alkaloids such as gelsemine and gelsemine, which are extremely poisonous to humans. Ingesting just a few leaves can lead to poisoning and even death. Fortunately, A Xian was taken to the hospital in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Director Qin explained that when A Xian arrived at the hospital, he had slow breathing, stomach pain, and a dry mouth and throat. The hospital performed gastric lavage, put him on a ventilator, and other emergency measures. A Xian's condition gradually improved. Water spinach can counteract the poison of Gelsemium elegans
It is reported that during this year's Qingming Festival, five people from百合 Township in Heng County mistakenly picked Gelsemium elegans, mistaking it for a wild vegetable, and cooked it to eat, resulting in two deaths. So, if one lives far from a hospital, is there a way to save oneself from Gelsemium elegans poisoning?
A reporter from various pharmacies and Chinese herbal medicine shops in Heng County asked medical experts about self-rescue methods after accidentally ingesting Gelsemium elegans. Fortunately, the nemesis of Gelsemium elegans is not uncommon—it is the common water spinach. Water spinach is mild in nature and cool in nature, and has a good detoxifying effect on the poison of Gelsemium elegans. To use water spinach as an antidote, you can use 0.5 to 1 kg of fresh roots or fresh whole plant, crushed to extract the juice and consumed. Honeysuckle and Gelsemium elegans have similar flower shapesDirector Qin from Heng County People's Hospital suggested that if Gelsemium elegans is kept at home to feed livestock, it must be stored with clear markings for distinction.