Taxus Baccata used as a poison, remedies and food crop

The toxicity of yew is already subject of Greek mythology: the goddess of hunting Artemis killed with poisoned arrows yew the daughters of Niobe, who had boasted to her of her children's wealth. The Celts used Eibennadelabsud to poison their arrow tips and Julius Caesar, in his Gallic War by a Eburones-tribal prince, who committed suicide rather with yew poison when the Romans to surrender. For the toxicity of the European yew comment Paracelsus, Virgil and Pliny the Elder. Dioscorides reported by Spanish yews with such a high toxic content that they have which could be dangerous, just sat in its shade or sleeping.

In medicine, yew preparations played a role from the early Middle Ages, were treated with them among other diseases such as epilepsy, diphtheria, and rheumatism, and skin rash and itch. Eibennadelsud was also used as an abortifacient. In 1964 it was discovered that the associated species of the genus contain potentially cancer-inhibiting substances. These are the taxanes paclitaxel and docetaxel, both of which come since the 1990s for use in cancer therapy. Paclitaxel is actually mostly in the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia before). But as their stock is too low to produce the necessary amount paclitaxel, the drug is obtained by partial synthesis from the European yew.

Besides the use as a poison and medicinal plants were even used as food ingredients yew plant: the red and sweet seed coat that is non-toxic, can boil down to jam if the poisonous seeds are removed. Eibenlaub was a minor extent the traditional mixed fodder of cattle, thus preventing disease. In some regions such as Albania, this is still practiced today.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europ%C3%A4ische_Eibe
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