The strongest poison in the world. What are the poisonings of a person with poisons? Anthrax bacillus
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. The work of cells stops, the internal organs begin to collapse. 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. Therefore, it is considered the fastest poison for humans.
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.
Anthrax spores 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 has been used to create WMD (weapons of 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 charcoal. 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 kill 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 fields. 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 such a 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.
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 commanders 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
A typical example is the 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).
Plant poisons were extracted from such plants 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 entered the respiratory tract. 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 that cause erysipelas (erysipelas), often resulting in 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 dung 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 the bat, the 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 fell into a sound 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 of the poisonous puffer fish (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, dozens of people die from its hell every year in the Land of the Rising Sun. 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 all. 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.
All of us, one way or another, faced with such a phenomenon as poisons.
Someone enthusiastically read about them in books, someone was briefly told in class at school, and someone directly worked with them.
Poisons are divided into natural and artificially created, and have been present in human history since time immemorial. People, such ruthless and sophisticated creatures, not only learned how to extract poison from natural materials, but also decided to go further - they created ways to kill with their own hands. And, I must admit, they did it well.
The heyday of poisons fell on the dark and mysterious Middle Ages - the time when animal fear, cruelty and unquestioning obedience to religion dominated society. And, as it turned out, the endless games of the nobility with death, in the struggle for the throne, became the finishing touch in the gloomy trail of the Middle Ages.
However, even today, poisons have not lost their relevance and continue to interest many people. It is a pity, of course, that not only for scientific purposes.
But, if you found this article out of pure curiosity - why not?
Check out the top 10 most dangerous poisons in the world.
The dangerous effect of mercury on the human body is known to everyone. That is why we were so often told to be careful with thermometers and immediately take appropriate measures if it turned out to be broken.
Theoretically, there are three forms of mercury that are deadly to humans: elemental, organic, and inorganic mercury. We often encounter elemental mercury in everyday life - these are the same banal old thermometers or fluorescent lamps. This kind of mercury is safe to touch, but can be fatal if inhaled.
The symptoms of mercury poisoning are almost the same in all species, and can range from nausea and seizures to blindness and even memory loss.
If we turn to history, then arsenic at one time was the most popular poison and a favorite among killers. It was even called "royal poison".
Arsenic has been used since ancient times (the use of this poison was even attributed to Caligula), mainly in order to eliminate enemies and competitors in the endless struggle for the throne - and it doesn’t matter, royal or papal. Arsenic was the poison of choice for all European nobility during the Middle Ages.
Its popularity was justified by various factors - both power and availability. For example, in the UK, arsenic was sold in pharmacies as a rodent poison.
However, while in Europe arsenic brought only death and suffering, traditional Chinese medicine used it to treat diseases such as syphilis and psoriasis for two thousand years. Nowadays, scientists have experimentally proven that leukemia can be treated with arsenic. And it was the Chinese doctors who discovered that such a strong poison, as it turned out, was able to successfully block the proteins responsible for the growth and reproduction of cancer cells.
Quite a sensational poison in its time.
Anthrax is a frequent guest in the media due to the large batch of letters infected with it and sent to innocent victims in the United States. As a result of this attack, 10 people died and another 17 were seriously infected.
In this regard, a grandiose universal paranoia broke out in the country, affecting millions. And, we must admit that it is not in vain. After all, anthrax is caused by bacteria, and one breath is enough for complete infection. Such a strong poison is spread by spores that are released into the air.
After infection, the victim feels only a chill, gradually turning into a violation of breathing, and then into a stop. Mortality from this disease reaches as much as 90% percent in the first week after infection.
This famous toxin has become literally synonymous with poison.
Potassium cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas with the smell of bitter almonds (everyone remembers the novels of Agatha Christie?), or crystals. Cyanide is present almost everywhere: this poison is able to form naturally in some foods and plants.
Also, cyanide is present in cigarettes. It is used in the manufacture of plastics, printing photographs, and, of course, potassium cyanide is a must in insecticides.
You can get poisoned by cyanide by inhaling this substance, swallowing it, or even simply touching it. The smallest dose is enough for the poison, once it enters the body, to paralyze the bloodstream and block the access of oxygen. Death occurs almost instantly.
Potassium cyanide was actively used during World War I, and was banned along with all chemical weapons later, in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
Sarin is one of the most powerful nerve agents and is considered a weapon of mass destruction. Death from this poison is always incredibly painful and brings terrible agony to the victim. Causing complete asphyxiation, Zarin kills a person in just a minute, which, however, seems like an eternity to the victim.
Despite the fact that the production of Sarin has been banned by law since 1993, quite a few cases of its use have been recorded since then. For example, in terrorist attacks or chemical wars. The chemical attack of 1995 in the Tokyo subway and the riots in Syria and Iraq stand out especially strongly against this background.
Initially, strychnine was extracted from trees that grew in Southeast Asia and India.
Pure strychnine is a white powder, bitter in taste and deadly by any means of ingestion, whether by injection or inhalation.
Although strychnine's original use was as a pesticide, it has been reported numerous times as being added to drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
In case of strychnine poisoning, many symptoms can appear within thirty minutes, such as: muscle spasms, respiratory failure, nausea, vomiting, and it is not uncommon that the entire process of spreading the poison throughout the body ends in brain death. And all this in just half an hour!
A mushroom that contains such a powerful poison, unfortunately, looks no more dangerous than its edible counterparts. However, only thirty grams of a deadly mushroom can send a person to the "other world."
Amatoxin has an incredibly destructive effect on the human body. This poison can cause serious damage to the kidneys and liver, cause necrosis of organ cells in just a couple of days. Also, it often causes multiple organ failure and even coma.
Amatoxin is such a strong poison that it can seriously harm the heart. In this case, certain death awaits the victim, without the imminent introduction of an antidote, which, by the way, is a large dose of penicillin. Without an antidote, amatoxin victims have a 100% chance of falling into a coma and dying of liver or heart failure a few days later.
The “supplier” of this well-known poison is Fugu fish, which at first glance will not seem to you particularly dangerous predators. However, their skin, intestines, liver and other organs contain one of the most dangerous and deadly poisons known to mankind.
If cooked incorrectly, Fugu fish can cause convulsions, paralysis, various mental disorders and many other health disorders in those who dare to try it. Despite this danger, because tetrodotoxin is a deadly poison, people in many countries continue to order this fish, sometimes even paying an insurance premium in advance.
And although the delicacy is Japanese, and it would seem that it is in Japan that everyone should know how to cook such a “risky” dish, it is in this country that the largest number of victims per year is registered. About three hundred people are poisoned with tetrodotoxin every year, and more than half of them die.
As a derivative of the castor bean, a perennial, highly poisonous plant, ricin is also considered a natural poison. Therefore, people are at risk of succumbing to its effects in several ways: through food, air or water. And, depending on this pathway, the symptoms of ricin poisoning can vary.
However, the principle of damage to the body remains the same. Ricin poisons the body, blocking the ability of cells to synthesize the protein necessary for life. As a result, such "blocked" cells die, and this, in turn, often leads to the failure of the entire organ, which has undergone a poisonous attack of ricin.
And the fact that ricin has the most lethal effect when inhaled served as a signal to many people who began to mail the poison in envelopes, as they once did with anthrax. After all, just one pinch of ricin can kill a person.
When all these facts are taken into account, it becomes clear why the decision was made to study ricin as a tool for chemical warfare.
In this article, we have listed quite a few poisons that are incredibly powerful and can kill in record time. However, many experts in the field of toxicology unanimously agree that the most deadly poison in the world can be called botulinum toxin. By the way, it is he who is used in Botox injections in order to smooth out wrinkles.
This poison leads to botulism, a disease that causes respiratory failure, neurological damage, and other more severe injuries.
Several factors have led to the status of the most dangerous poison on Earth, Botulinum toxin. Its volatile and easily accessible nature, its powerful effect on the body and its frequent use in medicine. For example, just one tube full of this toxin could potentially kill about a hundred people.
The scope of botulinum toxin is multifaceted - starting from the well-known Botox and ending as a way to treat migraine. Therefore, even deaths among patients are not uncommon, as a result of procedures that included Botox injections.
Here is a list of the most famous poisons that have been used to kill people throughout history.
Hemlock is a genus of highly toxic flowering plants native to Europe and South Africa. The ancient Greeks used it to kill their captives. For an adult, 100 mg is enough. infusion or about 8 hemlock leaves to cause death - your mind is awake, but your body does not react and eventually the respiratory system stops. The most famous case of poisoning is considered to be the one sentenced to death for godlessness in 399 BC. e., the Greek philosopher Socrates, who received a very concentrated infusion of hemlock.
Wrestler or Aconite
Ninth place in the list of the most famous poisons is Wrestler - a genus of perennial poisonous plants growing in wet places along the banks of the rivers of Europe, Asia and North America. The poison of this plant causes asphyxia, which leads to suffocation. Poisoning can occur even after touching the leaves without gloves, as the poison is absorbed very quickly and easily. According to legend, Emperor Claudius was poisoned by the poison of this plant. They also lubricated the bolts for the Chu Ko Nu crossbow, one of the unusual ancient weapons.
Belladonna or Beauty
The name belladonna comes from the Italian word and translates as "beautiful woman". In the old days, this plant was used for cosmetic purposes - Italian women instilled belladonna juice into their eyes, the pupils dilated, and the eyes acquired a special luster. Berries were also rubbed on the cheeks so that they acquired a “natural” blush. It is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. All its parts are toxic and contain atropine, which can cause severe poisoning.
Dimethylmercury is a colorless liquid, one of the strongest neurotoxins. Hit 0.1 ml. this liquid on the skin, is already fatal to humans. Interestingly, the symptoms of poisoning begin to appear after a few months, which is too late for effective treatment. In 1996, inorganic chemist Karen Wetterhahn conducted experiments at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and spilled one drop of this liquid on her gloved hand - dimethylmercury was absorbed into the skin through latex gloves. Symptoms appeared four months later, and Karen died ten months later.
Tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin is found in two marine creatures, the blue-ringed octopus and the fugu fish. The octopus is the most dangerous because it intentionally injects its venom, killing the prey in minutes. It has enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes. Bites are very often painless, which is why many realize that they were only bitten when paralysis sets in. On the other hand, puffer fish is deadly only when it is eaten. But if the fish is properly cooked, it is harmless.
Polonium is a radioactive poison and a slow killer. One gram of polonium fumes can kill about 1.5 million people in just a couple of months. The most famous case of poisoning allegedly with polonium-210 was that of Alexander Litvinenko. Polonium was found in his cup of tea - a dose 200 times the average lethal dose. He died three weeks later.
Mercury is a relatively rare element that is a heavy, silvery-white liquid at room temperature. Only vapors and soluble mercury compounds are poisonous, which cause severe poisoning. Metallic mercury does not have a tangible effect on the body. A well-known death from mercury is (presumably) the Austrian composer Amadeus Mozart.
Cyanide is a deadly poison resulting in internal asphyxia. The lethal dose of cyanide for humans is 1.5 mg. per kilogram of body weight. Cyanide was usually sewn into the collar of the shirts of scouts and spies. In addition, in gaseous form, the poison was used in Nazi Germany, for mass murder in gas chambers, during the Holocaust. It is a proven fact that Rasputin was poisoned with several lethal portions of cyanide, but he did not die, but was drowned.
Botulinum toxin is the most powerful poison known to science of organic toxins and substances in general. The poison causes a severe toxic lesion - botulism. Death occurs from hypoxia caused by impaired oxygen metabolism, asphyxia of the respiratory tract, paralysis of the respiratory muscles and the heart muscle.
Arsenic has been recognized as the "king of poisons". With arsenic poisoning, symptoms similar to those of cholera (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea) are observed. Arsenic, like Belladonna (item 8), was used in the old days by women to make their faces pale white. There is an assumption that Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic compounds on the island of St. Helena.
The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus famously said: “All substances are poisons; there is not one that is not. The right dose distinguishes the poison, ”and he is right. Even too much water will kill you. However, some substances require very small amounts to cause death - sometimes enough to drop a drop onto a gloved hand - so they were originally placed in the class of poisons. From flowers to heavy metals, from man-made gases to real poison, here are the 25 most dangerous poisons known to mankind.
25. Cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in any case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and once ingested, it causes symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, and weakness in just a few minutes. If left untreated, cyanide kills because the cells are deprived of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. You will need to eat about ten kernels before you have enough cyanide in your body for it to have a negative effect. Please don't do this.
24. Hydrofluoric acid (Hydrofluoric acid) is a poison used, among other things, for the production of Teflon. In a liquid state, this substance can easily seep through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy the underlying bone. The worst thing is that at first the contact does not cause any pain, which leaves more time and opportunity for serious damage.
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23. Arsenic is a natural crystalline semi-metal and perhaps one of the most famous and common poisons used as a murder weapon in the late 19th century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. Arsenic poisoning can lead to death in a few hours or a few days. The symptoms of poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea, which made it difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera 120 years ago.
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22. Belladonna or Deadly nightshade is a very poisonous herb (flower) with a very romantic story. An alkaloid called atropine makes it poisonous, and the whole plant is poisonous, with the root containing the most poison and the berries the least. However, even two eaten are enough to kill a child. Some people use belladonna to relax as a hallucinogen, and in Victorian times, women would often drop a tincture of belladonna into their eyes to make their pupils dilate and make their eyes sparkle. Before death, under the influence of belladonna, you may develop a seizure, increase your pulse, and become confused. Don't play with belladonna, kids.
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21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It will poison and then kill you. Part of the reason carbon monoxide is so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes referred to as the "silent killer". This substance prevents the body from delivering oxygen to where it is needed, for example, to the cells in order to keep them alive and working. The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to flu without a fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea, and confusion. Luckily, you can purchase a carbon monoxide detector from just about every specialty store.
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20. The deadliest tree in all of North America grows in Florida. Otherwise, where else would he grow? The Manchineel Tree or Beach Apple Tree has small green fruits that look like apples and are likely to taste sweet. Don't eat them. And don't touch that tree. Do not sit next to or under it, and pray that you will never be under it in the wind. If the juice gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you may go blind. The juice is contained in both the leaves and the bark, so do not touch them. Probably, the juice of this plant killed the conquistador Ponce de Leon, who discovered Florida.
Photo: nps.gov
19. Fluorine is a pale yellow gas that is highly poisonous, corrosive, and will react with almost anything. For fluorine to be lethal, its concentration of 0.000025% is sufficient. It causes blindness and suffocates the victim like mustard gas, but its effects are much worse.
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18. The pesticide used is Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate. It occurs naturally in several plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth about this odorless and tasteless deadly poison is that there is no antidote for it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who died from ingesting this poison remain poisonous for another whole year.
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17. The most dangerous man-made poison is called dioxin, and it only takes 50 micrograms to kill an adult human. It is the third most toxic poison known to science, 60 times more toxic than cyanide.
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16. Dimethylmercury (a neurotoxin) is a terrible poison because it can penetrate most standard protective equipment, such as thick latex gloves. This is exactly what happened to a female chemist named Karen Wetterhahn in 1996. A single drop of a colorless liquid fell on the gloved hand, and that was it. Symptoms started FOUR MONTHS later, and six months later she was already dead.
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15. Aconite (Wrestler) also known as "monk's hood", "wolfsbane", "leopard venom", "women's curse", "devil's helmet", "poison queen" and "blue rocket". In fact, this is a whole genus, including more than 250 herbs, and most of them are extremely poisonous. The flowers can be either blue or yellow, and while some of the plants are used for traditional medicines, they have also been used as a murder weapon over the past decade.
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14. The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms is called amatoxin. It acts on liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. It sometimes also affects the heart and the central nervous system. There is a treatment, but the result is not guaranteed. The poison is resistant to temperature and cannot be disposed of by drying. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure that they are safe, do not eat mushrooms.
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13. Anthrax is actually caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria as the toxin they produce when they enter the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter your system through the skin, mouth, or respiratory tract. The death rate from airborne anthrax is as high as 75% even with treatment.
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12. The hemlock plant is a classic poisonous plant that was regularly used for execution in ancient Greece, including the philosopher Socrates. Several varieties exist, with water hemlock being the most common plant in North America. You can die eating it, but people still do it, believing that hemlock is a perfectly acceptable salad ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, convulsions and tremors. Those who survive may subsequently suffer from amnesia, or other long-term problems. The water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Serious note: keep an eye on your children, even older ones, when they are out and about. Do not eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.
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11. Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds, and is often the main ingredient in rat poison. In large doses, strychnine can also be fatal to humans. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or it enters the body through the skin. The first symptoms are painful muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. Muscle contractions eventually lead to suffocation. Death can occur within half an hour. This is a very unpleasant way to die, for both man and rat.
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10. Most of those who understand such things consider mitotoxin the most powerful marine toxin. It is found in a dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus, and if those words confuse you, just think of deadly plankton to get the gist. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic of the non-protein toxins.
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9. Mercury - the silvery liquid in old school thermometers - is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. If touched, it can cause your skin to flake off, and if you inhale mercury vapor, it will eventually turn off your central nervous system and you will die. Before then, you are likely to experience kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage, and blindness.
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8. Polonium is a radioactive chemical element and has been implicated in the deaths of everyone from Yasser Arafat to Russian dissidents. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It is radioactive and emits alpha particles (they are not compatible with organic tissues). Alpha particles cannot penetrate the skin, so polonium must be ingested or injected into the victim. However, if this happens, the result will not be long in coming. According to one theory, a gram of polonium 210 could kill up to ten million people if injected or ingested, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.
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7. Suicide tree or Cerbera odollam works by disturbing the natural rhythm of the heart and often causing death. A member of the same family as Oleander, the plant has often been used as a "test of innocence" in Madagascar. An estimated 3,000 people a year died from consuming Cerberus venom before the practice was outlawed in 1861. (If you survived, you were found not guilty. If you died, it didn't matter because you were dead.)
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6. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum and is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. You may know botulinum toxin by its commercial name, Botox. Yes, this is what the doctor injects into your mom's forehead to make it less wrinkled (or into the neck to help with migraines) to cause muscle paralysis.
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5. Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it is a dish that some are literally ready to die for. Why? Because fish contain tetrodotoxin in their guts, and in Japan, about 5 people a year die from eating pufferfish as a result of improper preparation. But gourmets persist.
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4. Gas Sarin will give you the opportunity to experience the worst moments in life. Your chest tightens, harder, harder, and then... it relaxes because you're dead. Although Sarin was outlawed in 1995, it has not stopped being used in terrorist attacks.
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3. Golden Frog "Poison Arrow" - tiny, charming and quite dangerous. Just one frog the size of the end of your thumb contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose equal to about two grains of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some tribes in the Amazon used poison to coat the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow will kill you within minutes! Here's a great rule: if you see a frog and it's yellow, blue, green, or red, don't touch it.
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2. Ricin is more deadly than anthrax. This substance is obtained from castor beans, the same plant from which we obtain castor oil. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and a pinch of it will kill you very quickly.
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1. Codenamed "Purple Possum", belonging to the VX group, the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It is completely man-made and we can thank the United Kingdom for that. It was technically banned in 1993 and the US allegedly destroyed its stocks. Other countries are "working on it." Which we should totally trust because governments are known to be 100% honest about these things.
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