Anthrax Fast Facts:– From a bacteria: Bacillus anthracis– Found naturally in the soil– Not contagious– Humans can contract it from infected animals– Can be vaccinated against it– About 2,000 cases a year– Fatality rates depend on method of contraction– Famous for the 2001 anthrax attacks in the USA Anthrax is an infection caused by a…
A to Z Challenge
A to Z Challenge: W (poisons & stories of their use)
Wourali Fast Facts:– Commonly known as curare– Made from a mix of plants– Causes paralysis– Poison used on arrows in South America– Used in the Dr X killings Curare is not a specific poison, it is actually the common name given to a mixture of various plant extracts. It is made by boiling the bark…
A to Z Challenge: V (poisons & stories of their use)
VX Fast Facts:– Stands for “venemous agent X”– A synthetic compound developed in the UK– Tasteless and odourless nerve agent– 3 micrograms/kg will kill– Used to kill Kim Jong-nam As part of research into new insecticides in the early 1950s, scientists discovered a nerve agent they dubbed VX (for venemous agent X). VX interferes with…
A to Z Challenge: U (poisons & stories of their use)
Mustard Gas Fast Facts:– Also known as sulphur mustard– An organic compound: (ClCH2CH2)2S– Mustard gas is a cytotoxin– Used in chemical warfare– Garlic scent and yellow-brown colour– Fatal in less than 1% cases– Causes burns, suffocation and cancer– Precursor to development of chemotherapy Thought to have been developed in 1822, mustard gas (sulphur mustard) is…
A to Z Challenge: T (poisons & stories of their use)
Thallium Fast Facts:– “Tl” on the periodic table (atomic no.81)– Grey metal not found free in nature– Produced as byproduct from refining of heavy-metal sulfide ores– Historically used in rat poison and insecticides, now restricted/banned in many countries– Also used for ringworm and tuberculosis– Detected through hair analysis– Popular murder weapon, especially in Australia in…