Little Apple of Death Fast Facts:– Commonly known as the Manchineel tree– Modern-day Spanish name is manzanilla de la muerte (little apple of death)– Native to Caribbean, Florida (where it’s endangered), Bahamas, Central and northern South America– One of the most toxic trees in the world– Every part of the tree (bark, leaves, fruit) contains…
Articles from April 2021
A to Z Challenge: K (poisons & stories of their use)
Kokoe poison frog Fast Facts:– Also known as poison dart frog– The frogs excrete the poison: batrachotoxin– About 136 micro grams is a lethal dose– One frog has about 1100 micro grams– It affects nerve and muscle cells resulting in cardiac failure– Believed to be the poison that killed navigator Ferdinand Magellan When touched or…
A to Z Challenge: J (poisons & stories of their use)
Just about anything… Fast Facts:– Anything in the right dose can kill– Consider ever chemical to be a poison– Water and salt have poisoned and killed According to toxicologist Paracelsus (circa 1500), “the dose makes the poison”. What this means is that every chemical can be considered a poison – if you have enough of…
A to Z Challenge: I (poisons & stories of their use)
Insecticides & Pesticides Fast Facts:– Technically, insecticides are a type of pesticide– Pesticides are chemical or biological agents that deter, incapacitate or kill pests– Insecticides are substances that specifically kill insects– Herbicides (which kill plants) account for about 80% of all pesticides– May cause acute and delayed health effects in people who are exposed– In…
A to Z Challenge: H (poisons & stories of their use)
Hemlock Fast facts:– Latin name is Conium maculatum– Indigenous to Europe and North Africa– Introduced to most other parts of the world– All parts of the plant toxic– Toxin causes paralysis and respiratory failure– Can survive with artificial respiration for 48 to 72 hours– 0.1mg can be fatal– Used as poison since 400BC– Famous for…