Geography Cone Snail Fast facts:– Latin name is Conus geographus– One of most venomous creatures on Earth– It’s venom has analgesic properties– Toxin causes muscle paralysis, vision impairment and respiratory failure– Most toxic cone snail with more than 100 toxins– A few microlitres of toxin enough to kill 10 people– No anti-venom exists– 36 deaths…
Articles from April 2021
A to Z Challenge: F (poisons & stories of their use)
Foxglove Fast facts:– Latin name is Digitalsi lanata– Native to the Balkans– A naturalised, invasive species in the US and Canada– Contains a powerful cardiac glycoside called digitalin (or digoxin)– Used in heart medication– Adverse drug reactions common– Margin between effectiveness and toxicity narrow– Famously used in the Foxglove Murders and by Angel of Mercy…
A to Z Challenge: E (poisons & stories of their use)
Emetic tartar Fast facts:– Contains antimony, a naturally occurring metal– ‘Sb’ on the periodic table (atomic no.51)– Used to induce vomiting– Symptoms similar to arsenic– Kills in 30 minutes after ingestion– Has an acrid metallic taste– Can be detected during autopsy– Intentionally used to treat patients suffering from leishmaniasis– Used by serial killer George Chapman,…
A to Z Challenge: D (poisons & stories of their use)
Death Cap Mushroom Fast facts: – Amatoxin is the toxic compound – Lethal in small doses – Often found under/near oak trees – Heat doesn’t destroy the toxin – Causes organ damage, particularly liver and heart – Native to Europe and parts of North Africa – Feral species in the Americas and Australia – Cause…
A to Z Challenge: C (poisons & stories of their use)
Cyanide Fast facts: – Also called prussic acid – Chemical compound of carbon triple bonded to nitrogen – Found naturally (fruit seeds and tobacco) or easily manufactured – Can be ingested (orally or topically) and inhaled – Exposure leads to death in minutes – Was the gas used in Nazi extermination camps – Poison of…