Content
- Oleander - the poisonous beauty
- All plant parts are highly toxic
- Oleander is also lethal to animals
- Tips
Attention! The oleander is highly toxic
Oleander - the poisonous beauty
Already at the time of Alexander the Great (about 2,400 years ago), the poisonous effect of the oleander was known. Ancient authors such as Pliny and Galen report about it, but also about medical applications. So Oleander should be administered as an antidote to snakebites - whether that actually helped or whether those affected now not on snake venom, but on the oleander died, is not known.
Next article Oleander - care, cutting, wintering and propagatingAll plant parts are highly toxic
All parts of the oleander contain the glycoside oleandrin, which has an effect on the heart and can cause cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrest in sensitive individuals. Typical symptoms of poisoning with oleander are headache, vomiting and diarrhea, cramps, blue hands and lips, and a slowed pulse and dilated pupils. When cutting the bush you should always wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the exiting latex juice - here too it can cause symptoms of intoxication such as severe skin irritation.
Oleander is also lethal to animals
The plant is highly toxic to all farm animals and pets and can lead to death even after only a small amount - for example, a large horse dies after eating only about 15 to 20 grams of fresh leaves. In sheep, the lethal dose ranges from just one to five grams. Therefore, wherever animals such as horses, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, but also dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc. run free, should be dispensed with a planting of highly toxic oleander. Incidentally, the poison is also effective in birds.
Tips
In the event of accidental poisoning, the person concerned should drink plenty of water (if necessary, juice can also be used), swallow coal tablets if possible and be taken to the hospital immediately.