What is Cicuta virosa?

Cicuta virosa is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from water hemlock, one of the most poisonous plants in Europe and North America. Homeopaths reach for it when someone has fits, jerking or twitching.

The remedy is made by diluting the plant again and again. At 30C, the usual strength sold in shops, not one speck of the plant is left. What you swallow is a sugar pill, water or alcohol.

Human trials do not show that it works better than a placebo (a dummy pill). Its standing comes from long use inside homeopathy, and long use is not proof that something works.

How does Cicuta virosa work?

Homeopathy rests on the idea of "like cures like". Water hemlock poisoning causes violent fits, so homeopaths give the diluted plant to people who have fits and twitching.

The plant is shaken and watered down over and over. By 30C the chance that even one bit of the plant is left is close to zero.

Homeopaths say the water keeps a trace or imprint of the plant. Chemistry and physics give no backing for that idea. No trial has shown an effect beyond placebo.

What forms does Cicuta virosa come in?

You will most often see small white sugar pills or tiny round pellets. Liquid drops in water and alcohol are also sold.

Common strengths are 6C, 30C and 200C. The higher the number, the more times the plant was watered down.

Some suppliers also list a mother tincture. That is raw plant extract, not a homeopathic dose, and it is a poison. Do not buy it or take it.

Where it comes from:

Water hemlock grows in wet ditches, marshes and stream banks across Europe, Asia and North America. Country people have known it for hundreds of years as a plant that kills cattle, and children who chew the root.

Homeopaths began testing it in the 1800s, in the years after Samuel Hahnemann. Their notes link it to fits, jerking, locked jaw and thick crusts on the scalp.

It is still listed in homeopathic books and kits today, though it is used far less than common remedies.

What does Cicuta virosa help with?

• Fits (convulsions) and jerking of the limbs: This is the classic homeopathic picture for Cicuta virosa, because the raw plant causes violent fits. No human trial has tested the remedy for fits. Fits need a doctor, and often need medicine that works.
• Muscle twitching and spasm: Homeopathic books list it for twitching that starts in the face or hands. There is no trial evidence for this use. Twitching that keeps coming back should be checked by a doctor.
• Stiff neck and locked jaw after a knock or wound: Old homeopathic notes link it to a jaw that will not open. A locked jaw after a dirty wound can be tetanus, which is a medical emergency. Get help fast; do not treat this at home.
• After-effects of a blow to the head: Homeopaths have used it for jerking or odd feelings after a head knock. No trial supports this. Any head injury with sickness, sleepiness or confusion needs urgent care.
• Hiccups that will not stop: It appears in homeopathic lists for long, loud hiccups. We found no human trials. Hiccups lasting more than two days need a doctor, as they can point to another problem.
• Dizziness with a feeling of falling: Homeopathic sources describe dizziness with strange sights or a fear of falling. There is no trial evidence. New or bad dizziness should be checked, as it has many causes.
• Thick crusty scabs on the scalp and face: Homeopathic books link Cicuta to thick, yellow, honey-like crusts. No trial has tested this. Crusts like these are often a skin infection that needs a proper cream or antibiotic.

Which foods are rich in Cicuta virosa?

1. Wild parsnip, water parsnip and wild celery: these look like water hemlock, and people have died after mixing them up

Practical Tips:

Never eat a wild root unless an expert has named it for you.

What are the side effects of Cicuta virosa?

• Most often, nothing at all: a 30C pill is sugar and water
• A short flare-up of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Upset stomach in people who cannot digest lactose (milk sugar) in the pills
• Rare rash or itch from something in the pill or the drops
• Harm from delay if it is used in place of real care
• Poisoning if the raw plant or a very low strength is taken: sickness, drooling, fits, coma and death

Good to know:

Most people who take a 30C pill feel nothing at all. That is what you would expect, since the pill holds no plant.

The real dangers lie elsewhere. One is delay: fits, head injury and locked jaw need a doctor, not a sugar pill.

The other is the plant itself. Water hemlock has killed adults, children and cattle. Only the high, plant-free strengths are safe.

How much Cicuta virosa should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been shown to work, because the remedy itself has not been shown to work. Packs and homeopathic books often suggest 3 to 5 pills of a 30C strength, up to three times a day, for a short spell. Follow the label on the pack you buy, or ask a trained homeopath. Never take a mother tincture or any strength below 4X. Those may hold real poison.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopaths often advise taking it away from food, coffee and strong mint, though there is no proof this makes any difference.
• With or without food: Usually between meals, about 15 to 30 minutes before or after eating. Let the pills melt under your tongue. This is custom, not proof.
• Time to effect: No honest time can be given. Any change you notice is most likely the illness running its normal course, or a placebo effect.
• How long to take it: Keep it short, a few days at most. If nothing has changed in three days, stop and speak to a doctor. Never take it for weeks on end in place of care that works.