Method Perfected Yew Tincture

[DetachedDreamer97]

This truly is fascinating and admirable work you have done, nixonnate32 - thank you very much for sharing! I'd have liked to spend the time needed to create such a tincture myself, yet I do not have the energy nor capacity any longer. I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks! I appreciate that!

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

Is it a strong smell when you dry in in the oven?
Does it smell like a pine tree oil?

It's pretty strong, depending on the temperature setting or how much leaves you put in at a time.

HAHAHAHAHA! No. It smells like cat piss!

When it comes to seeds though, the smell is less strong and is actually reminiscent of banana bread... at least to me.

 

[Bluedew]

It's pretty strong, depending on the temperature setting or how much leaves you put in at a time.

HAHAHAHAHA! No. It smells like cat piss!

When it comes to seeds though, the smell is less strong and is actually reminiscent of banana bread... at least to me.

The drying leaves definitely do smell like cat piss !

 

[Salvacion]

Hi, I've been busy. I was working on the perfected yew tincture, and after so many failures, I managed to figure it out and suceed. By perfected, I mean, to make a concentrated extract at less volume. Fairly easy, and unlike I anticipated, ethyl acetate is likely not needed. Pretty much what you'll need are a few of 1-liter mason jars, some filter, dropper bottle, powder (starch, calcium carbonate, flour, etc.), 1/2 - 1litre of pure rubbing alcohol, some drinking alcohol, non polar petroleum solvent, wide glass container, maybe nitrile gloves for NPS solvent, sodium carbonate (washing soda), distilled water.

1: Clean the leaves
2: Dry them in an oven at a temperature of up to 85 Celsius (185,°F) and grind down to a powder both to reduce volume and increase surface area.
3: Place the grounded herb in a mason jar and cover completely with a low-boiling petroleum solvent (100% VM&P Naphtha,Heptane, Hexane, etc.). And cap the jar, perhaps with aluminium foil underneath to prevent leakage. The solvent should be four times the volume of the herb as with all the aforementioned solvents you'll be using.
4: Leave the mixture for a day in a cold, dark place for 24 hours, shaking often at a duration of a few minutes.) Percolate and discard the extract. Liquid only contains mostly oils, waxes, ephedrine (perhaps), and other compounds that'll impede the taxine and make you sick. The solvent itself is also toxic.
5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 at least once. And take the herb and set it on a flat tray or something.
6: Let it dry.
7: Once dried, put the herb in another mason jar and mix in some washing soda (sodium carbonate) at equal mass.
8: Prepare some boiling water and cover. Immediately, you'll notice rust-colored foam coming out of the liquid. That would be the reaction of tannins turning into salts, which makes them very water-soluble. This also turns alkaloids into freebases, ideally taxine. And since freebase ephedrine is soluble in water, and not taxine, you'll have essentially pure taxine. Let it sit for at least 45 minutes agitating occasionally in a hot water bath.
9: Percolate and discard the extract like you did with the nonpolar solvent and let the herb dry.
10: Extract with anhydrous rubbing alcohol for a day or so.
11: Percolate into a wide glass container and toss the herb; you won't need it anymore.
12: Evaporate the rubbing alcohol. Should end up becoming a sludge.
13: Scrape it into a pile and mix in some rice flour, calcium carbonate or whatever powdered filler until it at least has a dough-like consistency or is easy to work with.
(Note: You may stop there if you wish to, but it will result in a shorter shelf life, it would be wise to convert it into salts if you'd rather prolong it. If not, carry on to the next step.)
13.5 (Optional): If you have enough of the nonpolar solvent leftover, like enough to cover the concentrate, defat, discard the solvent and evaporate.
14: Place the concentrate into a small jar (3-5 oz) and cover it with some high-proof ethanol (at at least 3 times the volume to extract the alkaloids. Wait at least a few days to a week before straining.
15: Pour the alcoholic extract into a small glass dropper bottle, perhaps adding a bit of citric acid to turn the alkaloids into salts.
16: Store it in a cool/dry, place away from light, until you're ready to use it.

Excuse the stupidity here, but when you say leaves you actually mean the Needles correct?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

Excuse the stupidity here, but when you say leaves you actually mean the Needles correct?

Yes.

 

[Rosiel]

I have been researching extensively about this method... a few things I would like to confirm.

1. A big risk with this method (as with most poison in general) is vomiting it out, which increases chances of being saved. It isn't the Taxine that is causing you to vomit it, but rather the volatile oils that are also in the leaves/needles, so that needs to be removed. So my question is how exactly can this be done without removing Taxine? I read this method:

"For each sample, the essential oil of the 1500 g fresh leaves of T. baccata L. was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus for 3 h and then submitted to GC/MS and GC analysis." from a paper I found online

2. Taxine is soluble in ether, chloroform or alcohol... so when I soak leaves in this solvent, it should technically extract the taxine out of the leaves? I read somewhere vinegar can be substituted, but no mention of Taxine being soluble in acetic acid (vinegar). Also it is not soluble in water and has a melting temperature of 124 degrees C, so that is why boiling it will not remove the taxine from the leaves?

3. There seems to be numerous accounts of people just eating the leaves and dying... presumably they did not need to make a tincture. How did they most likely take it? Just chewing on it?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

I have been researching extensively about this method... a few things I would like to confirm.

1. A big risk with this method (as with most poison in general) is vomiting it out, which increases chances of being saved. It isn't the Taxine that is causing you to vomit it, but rather the volatile oils that are also in the leaves/needles, so that needs to be removed. So my question is how exactly can this be done without removing Taxine? I read this method:

"For each sample, the essential oil of the 1500 g fresh leaves of T. baccata L. was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus for 3 h and then submitted to GC/MS and GC analysis." from a paper I found online

2. Taxine is soluble in ether, chloroform or alcohol... so when I soak leaves in this solvent, it should technically extract the taxine out of the leaves? I read somewhere vinegar can be substituted, but no mention of Taxine being soluble in acetic acid (vinegar). Also it is not soluble in water and has a melting temperature of 124 degrees C, so that is why boiling it will not remove the taxine from the leaves?

3. There seems to be numerous accounts of people just eating the leaves and dying... presumably they did not need to make a tincture. How did they most likely take it? Just chewing on it?

1. For one thing, it's best to turn the taxines into salts by covering the material with diluted acid (Sulfuric, Hydrochloric, Acetic, etc.) and heat forba while before defatting with nonpolar solvents. Then proceed from there. That will ensure you get rid of all the oils while keeping the taxine. Even though taxine as a freebase form is insoluble.

2. Yes. And on another note, I read somewhere it's also soluble in DMSO.
The vinegar turns it into an acetate salt. This is where I got it from.
http://elbdisliker.at.ua/Jedy/wilson2001.pdf
Indeed about the water. However, it's said to partially sublime at a temperature of 82 Celsius.
https://media.nature.com/original/nature-assets/nature/journal/v41/n1065/xml/041493a0.xm
So it may remove some unless if the water is just simmering.

3: Likely, they just grounded up the plant material and made a smoothie.

 

[GerMann]

Der Toxingehalt der Eibennadeln beträgt 0,7 bis 2 % (am höchsten soll er im Winter sein, welke Nadeln sind am giftigsten).
In den Samen ließ sich dagegen nur ein Toxingehalt yon 0,16 % feststellen
Quote https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00353316
The toxin content of the yew needles is 0.7 to 2% (highest in winter, withered needles are the most toxic). In contrast, only a toxin content of 0.16% was found in the seeds

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

Der Toxingehalt der Eibennadeln beträgt 0,7 bis 2 % (am höchsten soll er im Winter sein, welke Nadeln sind am giftigsten).
In den Samen ließ sich dagegen nur ein Toxingehalt yon 0,16 % feststellen
Quote https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00353316
The toxin content of the yew needles is 0.7 to 2% (highest in winter, withered needles are the most toxic). In contrast, only a toxin content of 0.16% was found in the seeds

Thanks for the link! However, I am unsure about the seeds part. While I have seen the concentration in the seeds being 0.16%. Another source stated 0.92% is the concentration.
https://books.google.com/books?id=R...hUKEwij-Pm90ZPgAhXtna0KHZfXDjoQ6AEwGXoECAcQAQ
I believe it make more sense considering that a man died from just 400 seeds. Let alone the fact that some sites interchangeably claims that either the seeds or the leaves are more toxic than the other.

 

[Mistress Death]

@nixonnate32 Have you read the other less involved method of extraction? Extracting the oils with hot water, drying, crushing the leaves then soaking them in alcohol? How effective is this method if I have the correct amount of leaves? What percentage of alcohol should I use? I plan on going to the liquor store and buying a bottle of either regular 40% vodka or I can get 95% everclear. Side-note: If I let the leaves brew in hot water for an hour or so, will enough of the oils be extracted?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

@nixonnate32 Have you read the other less involved method of extraction? Extracting the oils with hot water, drying, crushing the leaves then soaking them in alcohol? How effective is this method if I have the correct amount of leaves? What percentage of alcohol should I use? I plan on going to the liquor store and buying a bottle of either regular 40% vodka or I can get 95% everclear. Side-note: If I let the leaves brew in hot water for an hour or so, will enough of the oils be extracted?

I believe so based on an account of Daniela doing it. However, if you were to ask if it would work well for the seeds, then no. As the oil has different properties from that of the leaves. Likely my suspicion of why it works well for the leaves is due to the evaporation of the volatile oils. Being that the oil in the seeds is likely fatty acid, it won't evaporate.

 

[Mistress Death]

I believe so based on an account of Daniela doing it. However, if you were to ask if it would work well for the seeds, then no. As the oil has different properties from that of the leaves. Likely my suspicion of why it works well for the leaves is due to the evaporation of the volatile oils. Being that the oil in the seeds is likely fatty acid, it won't evaporate.

I will be making it with the leaves and the branches that the leaves at attached to, but in the drying and crushing process the branches will be separated. Should I include them? There's a list of instructions about 10-ish points long and it's fairly basic. It's in one of the yew threads. In summary, what makes your process better? Also, at what temperature should the water be to extract the oils? Wouldn't anything above 75C destroy the taxine?

 

[defaultusername]

Does anybody have extra leaves or mixture they would sell? Pm me please

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

I will be making it with the leaves and the branches that the leaves at attached to, but in the drying and crushing process the branches will be separated. Should I include them? There's a list of instructions about 10-ish points long and it's fairly basic. It's in one of the yew threads. In summary, what makes your process better? Also, at what temperature should the water be to extract the oils? Wouldn't anything above 75C destroy the taxine?

Fair enough.
I'd suggest getting rid of the branches.
What makes it better is minimal volume and minimal impurities like the oils and tannins.
Not quite. It's only when it's above 100 C where the taxine is at risk. Then again it's probably just liquid. Whatever the case, the water should just be simmering.

 

[Mistress Death]

Fair enough.
I'd suggest getting rid of the branches.
What makes it better is minimal volume and minimal impurities like the oils and tannins.
Not quite. It's only when it's above 100 C where the taxine is at risk. Then again it's probably just liquid. Whatever the case, the water should just be simmering.

The water I used was not simmering/bubbling, just steaming but was too hot to touch. Was that sufficient?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

The water I used was not simmering/bubbling, just steaming but was too hot to touch. Was that sufficient?

Hmmm... a little more. You just want tiny bubbles to show.

 

[Mistress Death]

Hmmm... a little more. You just want tiny bubbles to show.

I let the leaves soak in the hot water for over an hour, it could have been 2 hours and the water turned a dark-ish color. Was that color from the oils? I have since dried, crushed and now they are soaking in 95% alcohol. How long should I let them soak?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

I let the leaves soak in the hot water for over an hour, it could have been 2 hours and the water turned a dark-ish color. Was that color from the oils? I have since dried, crushed and now they are soaking in 95% alcohol. How long should I let them soak?

Mostly tannins actually. The oil does have a yellow/brownish color. One way to tell if the oils are gone is to smell the leaves. If you can't smell it, then most of the oils are gone.

 

[crova]

I let the leaves soak in the hot water for over an hour, it could have been 2 hours and the water turned a dark-ish color. Was that color from the oils? I have since dried, crushed and now they are soaking in 95% alcohol. How long should I let them soak?

Clearly hot water dissolved unnecessary oils from leaves, so the color changed, good sign in my opinion.
Dont rush with using yours too early. Several days minimum.

 

[Mistress Death]

Clearly hot water dissolved unnecessary oils from leaves, so the color changed, good sign in my opinion.
Dont rush with using yours too early. Several days minimum.

Even with 95% alcohol? Should antiemetics be used? I've started doing some research on dmso (dimethyl sulfoxide) and how it will make skin easily susceptible to absorbing stuff. Could I mix the two and apply it to my skin, like my arm pits, inner thighs and such (because those areas have blood vessels close to the surface). However, I'm guessing I should just ingest the taxine solution instead of messing around with mixing it with dmso.

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

Even with 95% alcohol? Should antiemetics be used? I've started doing some research on dmso (dimethyl sulfoxide) and how it will make skin easily susceptible to absorbing stuff. Could I mix the two and apply it to my skin, like my arm pits, inner thighs and such (because those areas have blood vessels close to the surface). However, I'm guessing I should just ingest the taxine solution instead of messing around with mixing it with dmso.

I probably recommend sticking to ingestion. And yes, antiemetics would be necessary. But not just any. You need some datura inoxia seeds, which contains scopolamine. Uf vou can't acces it, you can take a shot with the pepto busmol.

 

[Mistress Death]

I probably recommend sticking to ingestion. And yes, antiemetics would be necessary. But not just any. You need some datura inoxia seeds, which contains scopolamine. Uf vou can't acces it, you can take a shot with the pepto busmol.

How many seeds and how should I take them? Pepto bismol? Would that stuff really be the best over the counter antiemetic? Would any otc antiemetic be sufficient?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

How many seeds and how should I take them? Pepto bismol? Would that stuff really be the best over the counter antiemetic? Would any otc antiemetic be sufficient?

About 10 seeds should do it. Pepto bismol... I'm not 100 percent, but it does coat your stomach lining. Yes, I believe so... being that the mode of vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms are due to GI irritation.

 

[Mistress Death]

About 10 seeds should do it. Pepto bismol... I'm not 100 percent, but it does coat your stomach lining. Yes, I believe so... being that the mode of vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms are due to GI irritation.

A couple of people are saying on the sn megathread that otc antiemetics will not be good enough. Also, if pepto coats the stomach lining, how is the yew tincture supposed to get into my blood stream? Can I take pepto and other antiemetics at once?

 

[Mistress Death]

How many seeds and how should I take them? Pepto bismol? Would that stuff really be the best over the counter antiemetic? Would any otc antiemetic be sufficient?

Do you know of a US supplier that has the seeds? Should they be crushed and how soon should I take them and then the tincture?

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

A couple of people are saying on the sn megathread that otc antiemetics will not be good enough. Also, if pepto coats the stomach lining, how is the yew tincture supposed to get into my blood stream? Can I take pepto and other antiemetics at once?

True. It's just theoretical alternative.
The datura would for sure be the proper antiemetic.
Good question, whatever the case it's perhaps the same reason why people get drunk after taking pepto.
You could. But I'd just probably stick to taking just the seeds.

 

[Mistress Death]

True. It's just theoretical alternative.
The datura would for sure be the proper antiemetic.
Good question, whatever the case it's perhaps the same reason why people get drunk after taking pepto.
You could. But I'd just probably stick to taking just the seeds.

Do you know of a source where I can get the seeds in the US? I'm having trouble finding them and some of them are mislabeled.

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

Do you know of a source where I can get the seeds in the US? I'm having trouble finding them and some of them are mislabeled.

It's found on ebay.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/300669550408

 

[Psilo]

I heard you can get high on datura, getting high as fuck and ingesting yew... Now that would be the shit as a way out!

I'll wait for Semilanceata if I can't find Datura. I like being out there in nature to find the stuff I need to ctb. I also feel blessed, simply because I have access to taxus baccata in a isolated place.

Seriously people if you have the opportunity go outside and reconcile with mother nature, DO IT! She knows better than us humans!

 

[Mistress Death]

Does the tincture need to be ingested or can I mix it with dmso and apply it to my skin? dmso helps things get absorbed through the skin/membranes.