Poisons that can be easily purchased. The most dangerous poisonous substances. Strychnine and strychnine poisoning
October 7th, 2009
If you want to be healthy - douse yourself, don't touch this rubbish, but it's better to bypass it altogether ...
The deadliest things on our planet.
Death cap- Destroying Angel. The first physical signs of poisoning are usually nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. After feeling a little discomfort, there is a sharp pain in the abdomen, severe vomiting, intense thirst, and cyanosis of the limbs, as well as jaundice of the eyes and skin as a liver lesion. The patient remains conscious almost to the end, with brief intervals of loss of consciousness, then coma and death.
dog fish(Pufferfish). The poison tetraodontoxin is located in the ovaries of this fish and is not destroyed by heat treatment. When poisoned, speech is difficult, and paralysis of the respiratory system quickly develops, accompanied by paralysis of the central nervous system. The cause of death is most often convulsions or respiratory arrest, which occur within one to two hours after the poison enters the body.
castor oil- Castor Beans. Signs of poisoning - bitterness in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, drowsiness, cyanosis, numbness, impaired microcirculation, blood in the urine, resulting in coma, and death; poisonous agent even in low concentrations causes red blood cells to dissolve, in severe cases, hemorrhages develop throughout the body. Castor oil can also lead to premature birth in pregnant women. Autopsies of patients who died from castor bean poisoning show that vomit and stools contain blood.
Belladonna. All parts of the plant are deadly poisonous, especially its roots, leaves, and berries. The poison paralyzes the parasympathetic nervous system, blocking the nerve endings.
Venom Viper. The venom of the snake affects the blood and nervous system, is less poisonous when it enters the mouth than the blood ... The victim of a viper bite bleeds from the wound, has a fever and chills. The poisoning is accompanied by swelling or hemorrhages above the elbows or knees. These signs usually appear within two hours of being bitten. Then fainting, bleeding from the nose and mouth, loss of vision, followed by loss of consciousness. Death caused by cardiorespiratory disorders is inevitable if an antidote is not administered in time.
Barbados nut or Physical nut. The threat lies in the deceptively pleasant taste of the seeds. However, do not delude yourself - each seed contains at least 55 percent of the active substance "Hell oil", which blocks protein synthesis in the intestinal wall and can lead to death.
hemlock. Signs of poisoning are a gradual loss of coordination followed by a fast and weak pulse, muscle pain as they atrophy and eventually die. Although the mind remains clear, vision often deteriorates until the victim dies as a result of paralysis of the lungs. It is believed that Socrates was poisoned with the juice of this particular plant, and not hemlock, as was previously believed.
Cobra venom It has mainly neurotoxic effects. His strength is enough to cause the death of a person after the first full bite. In such cases, the death rate can exceed 75 percent. However, taking into account all the features of the behavior king cobra Overall, only 10 percent of bites are fatal to humans.
Datura. All parts of the plant contain poisonous alkaloids. When it enters the gastrointestinal tract, it affects the nervous system, causing heart failure and paralysis.
Lily of the valley. It contains cardiac glycoside in a fairly high concentration, in small doses it stimulates the work of a weakened heart muscle, but in case of an overdose it leads to arrhythmias and blockade of the electrical conduction of the heart, which is necessary for its normal contractions. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Poisoning is manifested by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headache pain and pain in the epigastric region. In severe cases, the rhythm and heart rate are disturbed, while the pulse, as a rule, becomes rare. Sometimes affected and nervous system. This is evidenced by agitation, visual disturbances, convulsions, loss of consciousness.
Aconite has a neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effect. Symptoms of poisoning are nausea, vomiting, numbness of the tongue, lips, cheeks, fingertips and toes, a feeling of crawling, a feeling of heat and cold in the extremities. Aconite intoxication is characterized by a transient visual impairment - the patient sees objects in green. Salivation is also noted, which is replaced by dryness of the oral cavity, thirst appears, headache, anxiety, convulsive twitching of the muscles of the face and limbs, loss of consciousness. Breathing is rapid, superficial, it can suddenly stop.
Rhododendron. They contain substances of a glucosidic nature - andromedotoxin, erikolin. Andromedotoxin has a local irritant and general narcotic effect, first exciting, then depressing the central nervous system; greatly upsets the activity of the heart, in a peculiar way, like veratrin, it affects the muscle. Poisoning develops very quickly. Often, within a few hours after eating the leaves and branches of rhododendron, death occurs.
tubocurarine chloride. White crystalline powder, in traumatology d-tubocurarine is sometimes used to relax muscles during reposition of fragments, reduction of complex dislocations ... Side effects from the use of tubocurarine are observed only with its overdose; in this case, the patient may develop respiratory failure due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles and, as a result, death.
Rhubarb. Rhubarb can only be eaten in early spring, until the air temperature rises above 15-17 ° C. In early spring, malic acid predominates in rhubarb, then its content increases, and with an increase in temperature in hot weather oxalic acid, which is harmful to the body, accumulates in the petioles: it forms poorly excreted salts and removes the calcium contained in the blood. The consumption of oxalic acid immediately in the amount of 3-4 g is already dangerous not only for children, but also for adults. In case of poisoning, vomiting and convulsions, renal failure may occur. In the first two days, death can occur from asphyxia, shock, and cardiovascular insufficiency. In the next 2 weeks after poisoning, such severe complications as acute renal failure, repeated collapses, profuse bleeding, hemorrhagic pneumonia, and gastric perforation can occur, which can lead to a patient's death.
Gila monster- a large reptile, with a very beautiful black and orange pattern throughout the body. Latin name this beautiful lizard is Heloderma suspectum or gilatooth. There are grooves on the upper and lower jaws, to which the channels of highly developed poisonous glands fit. When bitten, the teeth go deep into the body of the victim. The stings of the gila-tooth are very painful and practically act in the same way as snake stings. The poison is neurotoxic, that is, when bitten, it paralyzes its prey. For small animals, lizard venom is deadly; in humans, it usually causes very severe swelling, but sometimes it can lead to death.
Croton oil is a liquid obtained from the seeds of the Croton tiglium plant. It has a strong laxative effect, irritates the skin and mucous membranes. Even in small quantities (over 20 drops) is life-threatening. Crotonal is toxic and mutagenic. When inhaled by a person, its vapors cause irritation of the mucous membrane, pharyngitis, cough, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, onset of shock or unconsciousness. Contact directly with the liquid leads to severe skin redness, irritation, pain and burns. When the poison gets inside, poisoning of the whole organism occurs, damage to the central nervous system, and the formation of tumors. In the case of tactile contact, scarring of the skin is formed.
Digitalis. Nowadays, foxglove purple is used for the production of medicines that stimulate work. of cardio-vascular system. Active biological substances from foxglove tend to accumulate in the body and can be harmful or even fatal to a person with a healthy heart. The grass and rhizomes of foxglove are saturated with the toxin digitalin. Poisoning is accompanied by irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, the pulse becomes rapid and arrhythmic, general weakness and shortness of breath are observed. Perhaps the development of convulsions before death.
Codeine is an almost transparent, odorless substance with a rather bitter taste, which is available in either powder or liquid form. At high doses, like other opiates, it can cause euphoria. Often, when taking a large number of tablets of certain codeine-containing drugs, serious poisoning is possible. Due to the fact that with the regular use of codeine, the phenomenon of addiction is observed (similar to addiction to heroin and other drugs of the opiate group), it is released with the same restrictions as other narcotic analgesics. In severe poisoning with codeine, respiratory disorders are possible, up to paralysis with preserved consciousness, as well as a significant drop in blood pressure.
poisonous octopus(blue ringed octopus). Its poison, which belongs to the group of neurotoxins, is so powerful that it can kill an adult, especially if the octopus has bitten in the neck or in the area close to the spine. There is simply no vaccine for its poison.
dimethyl sulfate. Used in the manufacture of paints, drugs, perfumes, and pesticides, most dimethyl sulfate poisoning is due to leakage of liquid or vapours. Signs of poisoning will be more pronounced if alcohol is present. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, and headache occur. An increase in temperature, irritability, pain in the limbs, visual and hearing impairment, mental disorders are possible. In severe cases, tremor, ataxia, loss of consciousness, paroxysmal clonic-tonic convulsions resembling epileptic seizures, coma develop. Pathological anatomical examination reveals pronounced vascular disorders and degenerative changes in the parenchymal organs, brain and adrenal glands.
Nicotine. It is estimated that the lethal dose of nicotine for humans is 1 mg per 1 kg of body weight, i.e. about 50 - 70 mg for a teenager. Therefore, death can occur if a teenager smokes half a pack of cigarettes at the same time, because a whole pack contains exactly one lethal dose of nicotine.
Warty. A fish with a series of spikes on its back that release a poisonous toxin. It is the most dangerous poisonous fish known and its venom causes severe pain with possible shock, paralysis and tissue death depending on the depth of penetration. At the slightest irritation, the wart raises the spines of the dorsal fin; sharp and durable, they easily pierce the shoes of a person who accidentally stepped on a fish, and penetrate deep into the leg. With deep penetration, an injection can be fatal to a person if he is not provided health care during few hours. If the thorn hit a large blood vessel, death can occur in 2-3 hours. Survivors sometimes get sick for months. The venom consists of a mixture of proteins, including hemolytic stonustoxin, neurotoxin, and cardioactive cardioleptin. Survivors usually suffer localized nerve damage, sometimes leading to atrophy of the attached muscle tissues. The pain can be so severe that the victims of the injection want to cut off the injured limb.
hydrogen sulfide- a colorless poisonous gas heavier than air with an unpleasant odor rotten eggs. May be released during decay, accumulates in lowlands. Very toxic. At high concentrations, a single inhalation can cause instant death. At low concentrations, adaptation to the unpleasant smell of "rotten eggs" quickly occurs, and it ceases to be felt. There is a sweetish metallic taste in the mouth. The first symptom of acute poisoning is loss of smell. In the future, headache, dizziness and nausea appear. Sometimes after a while, sudden fainting occurs.
Oleander- a large evergreen shrub. All parts of the plant are poisonous, moreover, the smoke from the burned plant and the water in which the flowers stood are poisonous. The plant contains a number of cardiac glycosides (oleandrin, cornerin, etc.). Oleander juice, taken internally, causes severe colic in humans and animals, vomiting and diarrhea ... It also affects the nervous system (up to coma). Cardiac glycosides cause cardiac arrest.
phencyclidine(phencyclidine, PCP) - widely used in veterinary medicine for short-term immobilization of large animals. It is noted that it causes dissociated anesthesia. Phencyclidine is easy to synthesize. People who use phencyclidine are primarily young people and polydrug users. The true prevalence of phencyclidine addiction is unknown, however, according to national data, its cases in the United States have recently become more frequent. Phencyclidine is either taken orally, or smoked, or administered intravenously. It is also used as an additive to illegally sold deltatetrahydrocannabinol, LSD and cocaine. The most common artisanal drug, phencyclidine, is called angel dust. Low doses of phencyclidine (5 mg) cause restlessness, agitation, incoordination, dysarthria, and anesthesia. Horizontal and vertical nystagmus, hot flashes, profuse sweat, and hyperacusis are also possible. Mental disorders include disruption of body schema, incoherent thinking, derealization, and depersonalization. Higher doses (5-10 mg) cause increased salivation, vomiting, myoclonus, pyrexia, stupor, and coma. At doses of 10 mg or more, phencyclidine causes epileptic seizures, opisthotonus, and decerebrate rigidity, which may be followed by prolonged coma. Acute psychosis caused by phencyclidine should be considered a psychiatric emergency with a high risk of suicide or violent crime.
Parathion(Parathion) - organophosphorus compound - pesticide; if it is inhaled, enters the gastrointestinal tract or absorbed through the skin, poisoning occurs. Like some other organophosphorus compounds, parathion acts on the cholinesterase enzyme, leading to overstimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning are headaches, profuse sweating and salivation, lacrimation, vomiting, diarrhea and muscle spasms.
TEPP cholinesterase inhibitor-used mainly as insecticides and can cause poisoning. Symptoms - headache, loss of depth perception, convulsions, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath, vomiting, general paralysis, involuntary urination and defecation, pressure drop, death.
yew tree. All parts of the plant are poisonous, except for the red fruits. The wood, bark and leaves of yew contain the alkaloid taxine and are therefore poisonous to humans and many other animals, although, for example, hares and deer eat yew willingly and without harm to themselves. The older the yew needles, the more poisonous it is.
Carbon tetrachloride(Carbon Tetrachloride) is a caustic volatile liquid used as a dry cleaner. When inhaled or swallowed, its vapors cause severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys (for example, the patient may develop cirrhosis of the liver or kidney nephrosis), affects the optic nerve and some other nerves in the human body.
Strychnine- an alkaloid found in seeds tropical plants genus strychnos. It has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, in toxic doses it causes characteristic tetanic convulsions ...
Clostridium botulinum(Clostridium botulinum) is a gram-positive bacterium of the genus Clostridium, the causative agent of botulism, a severe food intoxication caused by botulinum toxin and characterized by damage to the nervous system. Botulinum toxin accumulates in food products infected with C. botulunum spores during their germination, if anaerobic conditions are created (for example, during canning). For humans, botulinum toxin is the most potent bacterial poison, detrimental at a dose of 10-8 mg/kg. Spores of C. botulinum withstand boiling for 6 hours, sterilization at high pressure destroys them after 20 minutes, 10% hydrochloric acid after 1 hour, 50% formalin after 24 hours. Botulinum toxin type A (B) is completely destroyed by boiling for 25 minutes. The incubation period for botulism ranges from several hours to 2-5 days (rarely up to 10 days). On the first day, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are noted. Further, neurosymptoms associated with damage to the nerve centers predominate: disturbance of accommodation, double vision, difficulty swallowing, aphonia. In severe forms of botulism, death occurs from respiratory paralysis, sometimes from sudden cardiac arrest.
Potassium cyanide- potassium salt of hydrocyanic acid, chemical formula KCN. Strong inorganic poison. When ingested, the lethal dose for humans is 1.7 mg/kg. Large doses are sometimes tolerated, slowing down the action is possible when the stomach is filled with food. Potassium cyanide is a powerful inhibitor. When it enters the body, it blocks the cellular enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, as a result of which the cells lose their ability to absorb oxygen from the blood and the body dies from interstitial hypoxia.
“Everything is poison, and nothing is without poison,
one dose makes the poison invisible "
Paracelsus
Dangerous First Aid Kit
Of course, it is no secret to anyone that all drugs are harmful to the human body to one degree or another. Opening the insert-instruction before buying an untried drug, many inquisitively study such paragraphs as: SIDE EFFECTS, CONTRAINDICATIONS or SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS. And, having found frightening items (indigestion, intestinal cramps, nausea, dizziness, skin rash, etc.), they put off the “dangerous” drug, which, by the way, was prescribed by a seemingly qualified doctor. Further, out of habit, or on the advice of a more experienced older generation, the choice falls on the old "time-tested" traditional medicines that our mothers and fathers, and maybe grandparents, drank. In pharmacies, these medicines are sold without instructions and in in large numbers, which means that they have “probably almost no” side effects. Is it logical? It is guided by this logic that people quite often suffer from the so-called drug disease, sometimes leading to death.
Here, of course, it is worth making a reservation - about the imperfect health care system, about the non-adjusted system of social insurance, about the low standard of living of the population, etc. etc. Yes, all these factors, one way or another, push the patient to buy SOMETHING, which, in his opinion, will be both better and safer and of course cheaper than what the attending physician prescribed.
There are much more dangerous drugs, the sale of which should be restricted, than will be listed in the article. But here we will try to identify the most insidious and popular "poisons" from a dangerous home kit.
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It is among the leaders in sales in many CIS countries. It is often dispensed in pharmacies without a prescription and without instructions, which, by the way, indicate side effects: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, allergic reactions and not only. Analgin is quite toxic. Today it is banned for sale even in third world countries, not to mention European countries. In Sweden, for example, Analgin was banned back in 1974.
I remember two cases:
My stepfather told me about the first. Back in the 80s school teacher one of the schools in the Izyumsky district of the Kharkov region took 4 tablets of analgin for toothache. The outcome is death.
The second case was told to me by a very nice elderly woman from Evpatoria. After examining her bedridden mother (at that time she was over 90 years old!), the doctor advised taking 2 tablets of Analgin 4 times a day for a cold, and wrote in the prescription: 1 tablet 2 times a day. After a tough conversation with predilection, the doctor admitted that he wanted to “help” and end the suffering of an elderly woman, for which he was immediately lowered down the stairs by my friend.
And if you scroll through the news archives on request: “Death from Analgin”, you can see the following: “A nurse was sentenced to a year in prison for the death of a patient from analgin”, “A 10-month-old child died from an overdose of analgin”, “The death of a ten-year-old girl after an injection of analgin " and so on. This is a roundup of news from the past few years. And how many such cases have been since Analgin began to be used in medical practice, we can only guess.
Also, Analgin (aka Metamizole sodium) is included in many combined painkillers: Baralgetas, Tempalgin, Spazgan, Renalgan, etc.
Corvalol (Barboval, Corvaldin or Valocordin)
Very fond of our people "natural" "safe" droplets for the heart. In addition to bromoisovaleric acid ester and other natural oils, it contains Phenobarbital which, firstly: does not have any therapeutic effect on the heart; secondly: it depresses the central nervous activity, one might say, dulls the mind and masks the symptoms of diseases of the cardiovascular system; and thirdly: it is addictive, which sometimes leads to an increase in dosage. The use of Phenobarbital is prohibited in many countries. Draw your own conclusions.
or a leaf of the Seine
"Penny" laxative. Natural means “safe”, which means you can be treated with it constantly and, if it doesn’t help, take several pills. As sad as it may be for some, this is a completely natural logical chain.
In practice, Senadexin, with prolonged and regular use (more than a year), can lead to dehydration, impaired water and electrolyte balance and intestinal diseases. It is especially dangerous to combine Senadexin with diuretics (with Furosemide, Lasix, Arifon or Indapamide.)
Phenigidine (Nifedipine)
It belongs to the group of calcium channel blockers. It is used to lower blood pressure, prevent angina pectoris. What is the danger of Nifedipine? Let's figure it out in order.
Today, pharmacology approaches the issue of lowering blood pressure very carefully. Modern antihypertensive drugs are usually taken once, maximum twice a day, the pressure is lowered gradually, sometimes the effect can be observed only a week after the start of therapy. If the treatment regimen is chosen correctly, these drugs are drunk regularly, without interruption. Phenigidine (Nifedipine), unlike modern drugs, rather sharply lowers blood pressure and acts for a short time. What follows from this? With a sharp decrease in blood pressure, the body turns on a compensatory mechanism, that is, it tries to slightly increase the pressure. At this point, Nifedipine stops its action (the period of action of Nifedipine is only 3-4 hours) and arterial pressure jumps to a critical level, higher than it was before taking the drug, as a result, a hypertensive crisis may develop. This phenomenon is called rebound syndrome. In Western countries, Nifedipine has a rather limited use and is used only in the form of slowly soluble forms: Osmo Adalat (Germany), Nicardia retard (India). That is, after taking a slowly soluble form of nifedipine, blood pressure will not drop sharply, respectively, the rebound syndrome can be avoided.
5 and 6. Raunatin and Adelfan
Another group of drugs for pressure. Adelfan has not been used in world medical practice for a long time, for which it is a dime a dozen in our pharmacies. What's the catch? After all, the base is again “natural” - the alkaloids of the Rauwolfia plant.
It turns out that with long-term treatment of high blood pressure with Rauwolfia preparations, renal blood flow worsens, hence renal failure, hence fluid retention in the body, hence the subsequent increase in pressure. Here is such a paradoxical vicious circle, the use of Raunatin or Adelfan in high blood pressure, leads, over time, to an increase in pressure, in addition, kidney function worsens.
Echinacea tincture
It is known to many as a good, most importantly natural, and therefore “safe” immunostimulant. Not many people know that long-term use of Echinacea contributes to the disruption of the nervous system, and, most interestingly, to the “addiction” of the immune system. That is, as long as we regularly take Echinacea, the effect seems to be there, the body's resistance is good. But as soon as we stop Echinacea, colds and flu will hit with a double force.
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Especially dangerous in infancy. Some pediatricians still like to prescribe diazolin to babies for colds and SARS (obviously old school). Diazolin, having a hypnotic effect, also depresses the central nervous activity, there is lethargy, drowsiness. In general, the normal physiological development of the child's body is disturbed.
Levomycetin
For some reason, the stereotype about the miraculous power of this drug in the treatment of various intestinal infections. Although if you look, then Levomycetin has a rather narrow scope. And if we start to treat indigestion, then it is better with sorbents and Nifuroxazide. The most important thing is that taking Levomycetin can lead to severe bone marrow dysfunction and even leukemia.
Eufilin
Eufilin (aka Aminophilin, Teotard) closes the top ten dangerous drugs, but by no means the last drug, the use of which can have serious consequences. What is the danger of using Eufilin? After all, until recently, it was widely used for the treatment bronchial asthma and bronchial obstruction, and some patients and doctors still use it. The answer to this question can be found in the official instructions, where it is written USE WITH CAUTION IN ACUTE PHASE OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION OR ANGINA.
Angina pectoris (or angina pectoris) - a sudden feeling of pain in the chest, the pain usually extends to left hand, jaw and neck. The reason for the development of angina pectoris is due to the "oxygen starvation" of the heart muscle, that is, the discrepancy between the need of the heart and its work.Let's take a closer look at the symptoms of angina pectoris. In addition to acute pain syndrome, angina pectoris can also be accompanied by breathlessness. Thus, the body, as it were, is trying to make up for oxygen starvation heart muscle.
Now let's look at an example. The patient developed angina oxygen deprivation of the heart) accompanied by severe dyspnoea. Further, due to a misunderstanding, Eufilin is taken, based on the logic that Eufilin expands the bronchi, thereby helping the body cope with oxygen starvation and relieve an attack of shortness of breath. BUT again, according to the official instructions, Eufilin, in addition to its bronchodilatory effect, also stimulates cardiac activity, increases the frequency and strength of heart contractions, and thereby INCREASES THE REQUIREMENT OF THE HEART MUSCLE FOR OXYGEN. Thus, with improper use of Eufilin, the oxygen starvation of the heart increases. This therapy will ultimately only complicate general state patient, and can lead to more serious consequences.
In the article "Dangerous First Aid Kit" we tried to shed light only on the most popular, everyday drugs that are fraught with real danger. In fact, the list of dangerous drugs is much longer. Self-medication and irrational use of medicines are even more dangerous.
Foods and drinks that are familiar to us can be deadly. And the simplest items contain poison. It turns out that the most powerful poisons are sometimes next to us, and we do not even know about it.
Dangerous Poisons
- Methanol, or methyl alcohol is very dangerous poison. This is explained by the fact that it is easy to confuse it with ordinary wine alcohol, since they are indistinguishable in taste and smell. Counterfeit alcoholic beverages are sometimes made based on methyl alcohol, but it is impossible to establish the presence of methanol without an examination. Unfortunately, the consequences of drinking such drinks are irreversible, at best, a person goes blind. 
Mercury. Everyone at home has the most common item - a mercury thermometer. It turns out that if mercury from two or three thermometers is poured into a medium-sized room, then this will already be enough to cause serious poisoning. True, elemental mercury itself is not dangerous, its vapors are dangerous, and it begins to evaporate already at room temperature. In addition to thermometers, the same type of mercury is found in fluorescent lamps. So be careful with them.
Snake poison. There are more than two and a half thousand species of reptiles, but only about 250 species are poisonous among them. The most famous are common vipers, cobras, rattlesnakes, black mambas, small sand snakes.
People have long found out that snake venom is dangerous only when it enters human blood. And, since mankind has been dealing with snakes for many millennia, it is not surprising that it was when studying the effects of snake venom on animals and humans in 1895 that they created the first antidote - anti-snake serum. By the way, there is no universal antidote even in case of poisoning with snake venom, for each type of snake, its own antitoxin is created - for the king cobra - one, for vipers - another, for rattlesnakes - the third.
The fastest poison
There are many poisons, but potassium cyanide is still considered one of the fastest acting. Used since ancient times, it is probably the most famous "spy" poison: many agents in films and books use cyanide in ampoules or tablets. And about such a sign of it as the smell of "bitter almonds", probably everyone read in the wonderful detective stories of Agatha Christie. 
You can get poisoned with cyanide not only by ingestion, but also by inhalation, by touching. Potassium cyanide is found in some plants and foods, as well as cigarettes. It is used in the extraction of gold from ore. Kills cyanide by binding iron in blood cells, thereby preventing them from delivering oxygen to vital organs.
You can determine cyanides using a solution of ferric salts
By the way, they tried to poison Grigory Rasputin with potassium cyanide, but they could not, because they added poison to the sweet pie. Glucose is an antidote for potassium cyanide.
The most accessible poisons
In summer and autumn, the time comes for seasonal mushroom poisoning - by the way, these are the most affordable toxic substances today. The most famous poisonous mushrooms are false mushrooms, pale grebe, stitches and fly agaric. Most of all they are poisoned by a pale grebe, since it has a lot of varieties, sometimes indistinguishable from edible mushrooms, and one such mushroom can lead to the death of several people. 
Although the Germans have learned how to cook fly agarics in such a way that they do not poison them, it is true that it takes them a lot of time to cook these mushrooms - they boil them for a day. True, the question arises - why do they need fly agaric when you can just take other mushrooms for food? And of course, you need to remember the rules for storing cooked mushrooms, even edible mushrooms can become poisonous if the shelf life is violated.
Ordinary potatoes or bread can also be poisonous. In case of improper storage, the substance solanine accumulates in potatoes, causing poisoning of the body. And bread becomes poisonous if flour was taken to make it, into which cereals infected with ergot got into. We are not talking about fatal poisoning, but it is quite possible to spoil the health of such products.
In addition, there are many household chemicals and fertilizers that can also be poisonous. For example, potassium chloride is the most common fertilizer, but when it enters the bloodstream, it becomes deadly, as potassium ions block the activity of the heart.
most famous poison
In South America, the most famous poison is curare, a poison of plant origin, there are several subspecies of this poison. It causes paralysis of the respiratory system. Initially, it was used for hunting animals, in the 20th century it was successfully used in medicine. 
There is also strychnine, powder white color, which is sometimes used as part of some drugs (such as heroin and cocaine). Although much more often it is used in the manufacture of pesticides. To obtain this powder, the seeds of the chilibukha tree are taken, whose birthplace is Southeast Asia and India.
But the most famous poison is, of course, arsenic, it can be called "royal poison". It has been used since ancient times (its use is attributed to Caligula) to eliminate their enemies and competitors in the struggle for the throne, no matter papal or royal. It is the favorite poison of the European nobility in the Middle Ages.
The most famous poisoners
The history of the Italian dynasty of Borgia poisoners is unique, they elevated poisoning almost to the rank of art. Their invitations to the feast were feared by everyone without exception. The most famous representatives of this family for their cunning are Pope Alexander VI Borgia, and his children: the son of Cesare, who became a cardinal, and also the daughter of Lucrezia. This family had their own poison, "cantarella", which supposedly contained arsenic, phosphorus and copper salts. It is known that the head of the family himself ultimately paid with his life for his deceit, by mistakenly drinking a bowl of poison prepared by him for another. 
In France, arsenic was used by women, the most famous of them - Catherine de Medici, who became Queen of France. There were poisoners and a lower rank - favorites of kings, marquises, baronesses and wives of jewelers. It is assumed that Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic.
The strongest poison in the world
And now scientists will not answer the question of what kind of poison is the most powerful in the world. One of the most strong poisons are botulism and tetanus toxins. 
Of natural poisons, batrachotoxin is very dangerous, it is secreted by the skin of small but dangerous amphibians - poison dart frogs, fortunately, they can only be found in Colombia. One such frog contains so much poisonous substance that it is enough to destroy several elephants.
In addition, there are radioactive poisons, such as polonium. It acts slowly, but only 1 gram of this substance is needed to destroy one and a half million people. Snake venom, curare, potassium cyanide - they are all inferior to the above poisons.
It's not just snakes that are venomous. As the editors of the site managed to find out, the most poisonous creature on Earth is a jellyfish.
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Excerpts from the book by Alexei Gorbylev "Claws of the invisible"
“Our destiny is to be invisible, we are knights of the order of invisible deeds, we are a caste of ghosts standing above mere mortals,” the well-known Soviet writer Roman Nikolaevich Kim puts such words into the mouth of a ninjutsu mentor in his story about the ninja “School of Ghosts”. Reading these lines, I immediately remember poisons - the most insidious, invisible weapon. Here is a man reading a book, admiring the sunset, basking in the sun, feasting with friends... And suddenly he starts shaking, faints and dies in a few minutes. Yes, poison is a serious thing!
Ninja, the invisible assassins of medieval Japan, were well versed in poisons, knew how and when to use them. Of course, science has come a long way since then. But, despite the fact that the "night demons" did not know the sophisticated synthetic poisons of our days, their
the arsenal was no less effective and intimidating.
The ninja made many demands on the quality of the poison. They needed poisons that killed instantly, and poisons that killed the victim after many days, so that the shadow of suspicion would not fall on the spy, and he would have time to get out of enemy territory. They needed poisons for which there were no antidotes, poisons that didn't work like poison. There is no doubt that over the long centuries of searching, the “night demons” managed to find both, and the other, and the third. Probably, we will never be able to find out how many prominent politicians and generals were killed by invisible poisoners so that their death did not arouse suspicion in anyone.
DEADLY POISONS (ANSATSUYAKU)
The deadly poisons described in the ninjutsu instructions are divided into four categories:
1. slow-acting poisons mixed with food;
2. poisons that kill after a short period of time, mixed with food;
3. instant poisons mixed into food;
4. poisons that kill when they enter the blood.
1. Delayed Poisons
Typical example- poison, which was extracted from green tea of the highest grade with the poetic name "Gyokuro" - "Jasper dew". Due to its unique properties, it was very popular among the "night demons". Gyokuro tea was brewed very strongly, poured into a bamboo container, tightly closed in it and buried for thirty to forty days under the veranda of the house for rotting. The resulting liquid black gruel was to be mixed into the food of the victim for several days, 2-3 drops per day. As a result, the average healthy person became seriously ill on the 30th day, and by the 70th day he was sent to the next world. A person weakened by illness gave his soul to God much earlier. So much so that later no doctor could determine that the patient's death
caused by poisoning. Of course, over time, the secret of the gyo-kuro poison was unraveled by physicians, and even a special medical term “shukucha no doku” appeared - “poisoning with tea infused at night”.
American journalists Al Weiss and Tom Philbin tell a legend about how one ninja, who settled under the guise of an ordinary resident in an enemy city, slowly but surely poisoned the local “mayor” with gyokuro poison for several months. At the same time, he himself drank the same green tea, to which he added poison, as the mayor did, and thus averted suspicions that could creep into the soul of the enemy. But... after every tea party, he took the antidote. As a result, the "mayor" died, as it seemed to everyone, a natural death, and no one suspected a spy. Al Weiss and Tom Philbin also suggest that the ninja used bamboo, which is abundant in Japan, as a poison, although this is not specifically mentioned in the literature. As National Geographic wrote, “The stems of many types of bamboo have a skin covered with fluffy fine hairs. Be careful not to touch them. They penetrate the skin and cause severe irritation. Indeed, these hairs are the perfect poison. “The bacteria on the hairs can even cause blood poisoning. I read, - the author continues, - that in ancient times, hairs from the skin were mixed into food in order to send the enemy to the next world.
2. Poisons that kill after a short period of time
Poisons of this action were made from mineral, vegetable or animal raw materials. An example of poisons of the first kind are copper oxide (green; green coating formed on copper as a result of oxidation) and rat poison (arsenic).
vegetable poisons were extracted from plants such as licorice (higambana; fig. 231), caustic buttercup (kimpoge, umanoashigata; fig. 232), etc.
As for the poisons extracted from animals, here the ninja preferred the poison obtained from the sand beetle hammyo (Fig. 233).
3. Instant Poisons
Such ninja poisons were poetically called "zagarashi-yaku" - "poisons that dry right on the spot." The most popular version of this poison was made from the seeds of green plum and green peach fruits, which were taken in equal proportions. In order to get poison, the bones were boiled for a long time (necessarily together). This poison was secretly mixed into the food of the victim or sprayed into the air in the form of the smallest dust so that it got into Airways. In the latter case, in a matter of seconds, it was possible to send to the other world with
a dozen enemies crammed into a small Japanese room.
In the Bansenshukai there is a paragraph called "Ho-ken-jutsu" - "Technique of meeting with a dog", which explains the technique of poisoning a four-legged friend of a person: "When entering a house in which there is a dog, two or three days [before operation] should be mixed with yakimeshi rice (fried boiled rice)[poison] matin [in proportion] 1 pound (1 pound = 0.375 g) per bun and put a few buns in the place where the dog may appear. 
The poison matin mentioned in the Bansensukai is nothing but strychnine. Strychnine is an extremely dangerous deadly poison. In order to kill a person, only 0.98 milligrams of this substance is enough. When ingested with food, it causes
characteristic convulsions, when the victim seems to lean back. The poisoned person experiences terrible pain and after a while dies from paralysis of the respiratory system.
Strychnine is an alkaloid. It was extracted from the dried seeds of tropical plants from the genus strychnos (chilibuha), containing up to 3% of poisonous alkaloids (Fig. 234).
In Japan, strychnine was widely used during the Edo period as an ingredient in rat poison. It came to Europe only in the 16th century, but its production was strictly prohibited due to the increasing cases of poisoning.
4. Poisons that kill when they enter the blood
It was with such poisons that the ninja smeared their “death stars” with shurikens, arrowheads, fukibari arrows. When they enter the bloodstream, they cause almost instantaneous paralysis of the respiratory system and heart, which leads to the death of a person. Such poison was obtained from the juice of the tori-kabuto plant (Japanese wrestler; Fig. 235). It is believed that the poison of torika-buto was invented by the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands of the Ainu.
(edzo), who processed their arrowheads with it and with their help felled bears. 
In the absence of torikabuto poison, the victim could be sent to the next world with the help of a shuriken smeared with horse manure. Horse manure contains many pathogenic bacteria, disease-causing erysipelas (erysipelas), often leading to the death of the patient. It is interesting that American soldiers were able to get acquainted with this poison, which is called “on their own skin”, during the Vietnam War: the Vietnamese, like the ninja, dipped their knives and bayonets in horse manure and blood.
In addition to deadly poisons, ninjas knew recipes for sleeping potions, drugs that cause paralysis, insanity, and inadequate reactions.
SLEEPING (NARCOTIC) DRUGS (MASUYAKU)
In the instructions for ninjutsu, recipes for three poisons of this kind are given.
The first remedy has already been described in chapter 2 in the section "Poisonous agents". It was made from the blood of the imori red-bellied newt, the blood of the Japanese moger mole, the blood of a snake, and some secret drug, the composition of which has not yet been clarified by researchers. Paper was impregnated with this mixture, which was twisted into paper twine, set on fire and thrown to the enemy. It could also
quietly throw a piece of paper into the brazier in the guardroom or into the fire at the enemy's bivouac. After inhaling poisonous soporific smoke, the enemy soon fell into a deep sleep.
Another sleeping potion was made from bat, leaves of the aogiri tree (firmiana, sterculia), centipede, sandal and paper tree pits, clove, evergreen aquilaria, mercury and ox dung. All this should have been ground into powder, mixed (often small balls were molded from the resulting substance) and set on fire. Having swallowed the smoke of this terrible mixture, people soon plunged into deep sleep.
The recipe for the third sedative, described in the secret instructions of the ninja, was as follows. It was necessary to dry in the shade and grind hemp leaves into flour. Then the flour was boiled. The resulting broth was mixed with weak tea, which was eventually fed to the chosen victim. From one sip, a person fell asleep, from 2-3 - he fell into a dream, accompanied by fever. If a person is forced
drink the drug for several days in a row, he just went crazy.
POISONS CAUSING PARALYSIS (SIBIREYAKU)
The texts describe two poisons of this effect, which should be mixed with food. The first ninja poison was obtained from a liquid that
was mined from the growths above the eyes of the giant Japanese toad hikigaeru (bufo marinus), considered the largest toad in the world (Fig. 236): its body length, not counting the length of the legs, is 22.5 cm! This liquid is so toxic that even with a single touch of it with a finger, the finger immediately begins to go numb.
Hikigaeru poison causes high blood pressure, headache and paralysis. Its action resembles the effects of taking an excessive amount of heart medication. To extract the poison, the toad is put on a skewer and roasted. Blisters form on the skin of the toad, and the poison flows out of the glands. It is collected in a container and allowed to ferment. The second paralysis-causing poison was extracted from the liver poisonous fish fugu (Fig. 237). Pufferfish are often referred to as "exploding" or "puffing" fish because they puff up when angered or when looking for food. Despite the fact that almost all Japanese are aware of the poisonousness of fugu, from year to year in the country rising sun dozens of people die from her hell. The fact is that fugu is considered a delicious delicacy served in the most expensive and sophisticated restaurants. Top-class chefs working in them are able not only to prepare fugu in food, but also to remove its hell, which is certified by the state
license. But not everything is so simple. Fugu poison, which chemists call "tetradoxin", retains its properties even when the fish is cooked, and it takes quite a bit, from 8 to 10 milligrams, to be fatal. In addition, hell can be found in any organ of the fish. 
The result - multiple deaths caused by the use of fugu in food. In one of the post-war years, 250 accidental poisonings of this kind were recorded. At the same time, more than half of the victims died. Poisoning most often occurs in winter, when puffer fish is the most delicious and at the same time the most poisonous.
To destroy the enemy, extracting hell from the fugu was not at all necessary. It was enough, under the guise of a cook, to slip a "tidbit" piece of undercooked fish onto the victim's plate. And that's it. The poison affected the respiratory center of the brain and paralyzed the respiratory muscles.
POISONS THAT CAUSE TEMPORARY INTERNALITY (KYOKIYAKU)
In order to cause insanity in the victim, it was enough to crush the seeds of white dope (chosen asagao, mandarage; Fig. 238) into dust and mix them into the victim's food.
A few hours after ingesting 5-10 seeds, a person either fell asleep or went crazy.
POISONS THAT ALLOW TO CAUSE IN THE VICTIMS A STATE OF ANXIETY, WORRY, INADEQUATE REACTIONS (SOJO-YAKU)
Poison that causes severe itching This poison was extracted from the thorns of the herb kaikaigus (a type of irakus-Tumberga nettle; Fig. 239). Of them
the smallest powder was made, which was sprinkled on the underwear or neck of the victim, who was then ready to tear his skin to shreds from a terrible itch.
Poison that causes unreasonable laughter
As such a means, the poisonous hallucinogenic mushroom waraidake was used (Fig. 240). It was finely chopped and mixed into the food of the victim, who as a result began to roll on the floor, shaking with unreasonable laughter in the complete absence of self-control.
Al Weiss and Tom Philbin tell in their book about a strange incident that occurred when two princes were fighting for control of one of the provinces. One of them, in front of a large gathering of people, declared that he was a god and could strike with blindness anyone who stood in his way. The second prince reacted to this statement with laughter. However, shortly after dinner, he began to go blind and announced to the whole world that his opponent was indeed a god. In fact, the creator of the "deity" was a ninja who poisoned the prince's bath towel with a poison that causes temporary blindness.
There are a lot of poisons in the world, some of them act for a long time, others cause instant poisoning. When exposed to the body, each toxic substance causes specific symptoms, the most common of which should be known to every person.
Plant and chemical poisons are very dangerous not only for health, but also for life. To date, there are hundreds of types of potent substances, some of which are used far from good intentions - genocide, terrorism, etc. However, our ancestors, even with the help of the most powerful poison, treated many ailments. One way or another, experts are actively studying this issue today.
The toxicity of toxic substances from the group is caused by an immediate effect on the respiratory properties of cells, which aggravates its work. Cells stop working internal organs are starting to break down. This leads a person to a very difficult condition, often ending in death. In fact, cyanide is a derivative of hydrocyanic acid.
It looks like a snow-white powder of small crystals. It dissolves quickly in water and is very unstable. Such a poison, in addition to laboratory methods, can be obtained from certain plants (fruit pits, almonds, etc.). However, poisoning is caused by a significant accumulation of a substance in the body.
Potassium cyanide is often used in industry:
- production of paper, plastics and some types of fabrics;
- in reagents for developing photographs;
- in the metal industry, metal alloys are cleaned of impurities with the help of cyanide;
- in granaries, products based on it protect products from rodents.
It is a fast-acting poison that can paralyze within minutes. The lethal dosage is only 0.1 mg / l. The person dies within one hour. First he loses consciousness, then his breathing and heart stop. Because he is considered the most fast poison for a person.
Anthrax spores
This terrible disease has been killing people for centuries. Only in the nineteenth century did the scientist Louis Pasteur succeed in making a vaccine. The specialist studied the resistance of animals to the effects of poisons by introducing a weakened strain of the virus into their bodies. A few years ago, American scientists developed a more effective vaccine.
controversy anthrax feel great in the secretions of an infected individual, getting through them into the soil and water. So they are carried over great distances. In African states, bloodsucking insects can become carriers of poison. The incubation period lasts from several hours to a week. The poison damages blood vessels, leads to swelling, loss of sensation and inflammation. Boils form on the skin, which develop into carbuncles. After some time, other very unpleasant symptoms may appear, from diarrhea to diarrhea. Often the patient is waiting for death.
The danger of sarin
Many Russians are familiar with this substance from school desks and life safety lessons. It is known to be one of the most powerful poisons in the world. Since the end of the last century, it began to be used to create WMD (weapons mass destruction). Sarin was discovered by one of the German chemical companies. At first, the substance was used only by the military.
Sarin is a highly volatile, odorless liquid. Therefore, patients begin to think about poisoning only after the onset of symptoms.
Intoxication is possible in several ways:
- when poison enters the oral cavity;
- through contact with the skin;
- through inhalation of fumes (gas).
The organic poison damages the nerve endings, making it impossible for the proteins to keep them going. The mild stage of poisoning is accompanied by general weakness and shortness of breath. Medium - the pupils narrow, the head starts to hurt, tearing, nausea, trembling in the arms and legs appear.
If a person is not given first aid, then death is inevitable. The severe stage has similar symptoms, but they are more pronounced. Vomiting appears, involuntary excretion of urine and feces, headache intensifies. A few minutes later, the person loses consciousness and quickly dies.
Amatoxin is a strong natural poison
This is the strongest of the entire list of natural poisons on planet Earth. Experts have proven that amatoxin is much more dangerous than any snake venom. 
It is contained in the composition of pale grebes. Once in the human body, the toxin affects the liver and kidneys, after which all cells die.
Amatoxin is extremely insidious: manifestations are observed only after ten to twelve hours. In this case, it is already too late to wash the stomach, so you must definitely call a medical team. In the early stages, the patient may be helped by Cephalosporin or Activated carbon. The most severe cases of poisoning with this biological poison require a liver transplant.
Strychnine and its scope
It is a plant toxin that is often used to poison mice, rats, and other rodent pests. Get it in the laboratory from the seeds of chilibukha (an African plant). Such a poison is often mentioned in detective stories, where characters die from it.
It is used in the creation of some drugs that are prescribed in exceptional cases. Indications for the use of such drugs are neurological diseases, impotence, loss of appetite, alcoholism, etc.
Liquid metal - mercury
This substance is mentioned in treatises of 400 BC. But archaeologists also talk about more ancient traces. Mercury is often used in industry, art, medicine and other areas. Mercury vapor is highly toxic. Intoxication can be both cumulative and instant. First, the central nervous system is affected, and then other systems and organs.
The first signs of poisoning are trembling of the eyelids and fingers. After some time, there are problems with the stomach, vomiting, deterioration of sleep and memory. If poisoning with mercury vapor occurs, then at first there is damage to the respiratory system. Late or incorrect medical care can lead to death.
Often people encounter this liquid metal from a thermometer when it is broken. However, not everyone knows what to do in similar situation. First you need to collect all the mercury balls and fragments. This should be done with protective rubber gloves. The rest of the thermometer must be placed in an airtight container.
After all this, the room must be carefully treated with a solution of potassium permanganate of a strong concentration, and all existing surfaces should be wiped with a rag. After a day, the room should be well ventilated.